


The Burden of Atlas

by tomfoolery14



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst with a Happy Ending, Assassin!Alec, Assassins & Hitmen, Crime Fighting, Friends to Lovers, Gun Violence, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Blood, Mild torture, Minor Character Death, Vigilante!Magnus, crime fighting boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2019-01-06 13:19:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 38,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12212061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomfoolery14/pseuds/tomfoolery14
Summary: Alec Lightwood is a low profile, high success assassin. He’s the son of two lawyers notorious for flying in the face of justice for the love of money, who he retaliates against by taking on cases that require working outside the law to ensure justice is served.  Magnus Bane is underworld royalty as the divergent son of a highly respected crime lord. He dissolves drug cartels, prostitution rings, and any other monopoly that threatens to poison his beloved Brooklyn. The two of them together are the perfect storm. When a new threat arises that combines the case of Alec’s new prospective client and a drug cartel Magnus has been keeping tabs on for years, the pair is out for blood.





	1. Chapter 1

 

Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age

The child is grown, and puts away childish things.

Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.

-Edna St. Vincent Millay

* * *

 

_Alec made his way through the crowd of people in the bar to find a spot at the counter to wait for Magnus Bane._

_On his last job, Alec had to resort to asking Magnus for information he had no way of getting on his own. Magnus, surprisingly, had been happy to help, which was a shock to Alec, to be sure. In less than 24 hours, Magnus had provided Alec with more intel than he could have ever hoped for, and soon had taken out the mark and alerted his client. He felt obligated to thank Magnus in person for all of his help; let him know he respected Magnus’ authority and knew he owed him a debt he would gladly repay._

  _Alec didn’t usually like to drink at bars, preferring a more casual and controlled setting. Blackout drunk wasn’t anyone’s good side, so he usually avoided coming into contact with it. However, meeting Magnus in private felt too…intimate. He hadn’t earned that right yet. Magnus could destroy him in a second flat with the kind of power he had. It was safest to tread lightly._

_He was surprised that Magnus had agreed to a meeting at all, to be truthful. Alec felt a bit childish, reaching out through multiple connections to send a message to the prince of the Brooklyn underworld asking for a meeting to discuss the job._

_Alec pulled out his phone and looked back through the message Magnus had sent him from a burner phone he told Alec he could be contacted on for the next 48 hours._

****

**_[From: Unknown, 2:49am]_ **

**_I received your message through the appropriate channels that you wished to speak with me about the job I assisted you on. I will be available tomorrow evening at 7pm at Shots._ **

****

_Alec had no doubt in his mind that Magnus was very thorough in researching him before he even agreed to assist, and therefore knew that Shots was just down the street from Alec’s apartment. He couldn’t help but feel a bit worried at the disadvantage. There was very little to be learned about Magnus except by asking directly. He was extremely private and extremely thorough in protecting himself. There was nothing you could know about Magnus that he didn’t agree to reveal._

_“Alec?”_

_Alec looked up from his phone to address the bartender “Yes.”_

_“From the man at the back table.” He slid a drink towards him. An El Diablo._

_Alec took the drink and the napkin offered to him that had writing on it. He spun the napkin right-side up so he could read it_

**_Whenever you feel like making your way over_ **

_It was signed with a small drawing of a crown with a gun crossed through it. The family crest belonging to Magnus Bane._

_Alec folded the napkin and tucked it into his jacket, then picked up his drink as he turned and scanned the back of the bar innocuously. The very back tables were obscured almost completely by heavy shadow, so Alec casually waded towards them before he started scanning faces._

_“Took you long enough. You’re not very observant when you’re off the clock, are you?”_

_Alec smirked slightly. “Sorry to disappoint.” He turned towards the voice and saw the outline of Magnus in the seat across the table from him._

_“Not a disappointment, just an observation to file away. Have a seat.” Magnus kicked the empty chair in front of him towards Alec._

_Alec complied and put his drink down, spinning it aimlessly between his fingers._

_Magnus leaned in towards him, the light hitting half of his face. A beautiful russet brown eye framed by dark, long lashes and flawless kohl looked him over. “You’re looking well. Was the job completed to your satisfaction?”_

_“It was. That’s why I’m here.”_

_Magnus’ visible eyebrow arched drastically. “Oh? That’s a new one.”_

_Alec swallowed, starting to feel that he was in over his head. He was used to working alone most of the time, drawing very little attention to himself. Being an assassin was a very isolated occupation.  There was certainly no standard of etiquette for interacting with him. He had a consultation with the client, took down his mark, alerted the client, and then moved on to the next job. But Magnus was standing on an empire, deeply entrenched in a business founded in socialization and run with a hierarchical system. “I just wanted to thank you. For your help.”_

_At that, Magnus leaned in even closer, his entire face now visible. Flecks of glitter sparkled beneath the waterline of his eyes. Though his expression itself hadn’t changed, something in his eyes looked more engaged and…soft? “You want to thank me?”_

_“Yeah. You didn’t have to, and I’m sure you’ve got a lot on your plate. I’ve heard the rumors about the new prostitution ring that popped up in Manhattan that people think might start spreading out. And I know I owe you a debt for your help. I intend to pay in full.”_

_Magnus smiled, but it was still hard to read the emotions being conveyed. “Interesting. You’re a man who respects the gravity of actions. You don’t believe in favors, do you?”_

_“Not in this line of work. If someone does something that provides me with an advantage, I intend to return the—”_

_“Favor?” Magnus supplied with a devilish grin._

_Alec rolled his eyes but the corner of his mouth twitched perceptibly. ”So, um, that’s all I wanted to say. I just wanted to say it to you in person. I really appreciate that you were willing to help me.”_

_Magnus just looked at him for a moment. Trying to figure him out. “What a rare bird you are, Alexander.”_

_Alec smiled shyly, looking down into his glass. “Why_ did _you help me?”_

_Magnus looked at him with a gleam in his eye and a knowing smile. It was intimidating to talk to someone who so rarely seemed out of control of a situation. Someone who was always the smartest in the room._

_“In your line of work, I’m sure your research on everyone you come into contact with is extensive, which means you must know that I’m a Lightwood. So, I don’t understand why you’d help me out.”_

_Magnus swirled his drink pensively. “I do know quite a bit about you, and that does include that you’re a Lightwood. But don’t you worry; your secret is safe with me.” He raised a ringed finger to his lips, smirking behind it slightly. His black nail polish gleamed in the light. “Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that I helped you so you would owe me a heavy debt, given that I know your real identity. How does that make you feel?”_

_Alec took a moment to search Magnus’ eyes. He was truly the most difficult person to read, and Alec was coming up empty. But among the absent emotions were deceit and betrayal. “I don’t believe that that’s true.”_

_Magnus raised his eyebrows questioningly. “You don’t believe I’m capable of such an underhanded scheme?”_

_“Of course you’re capable. I just think you have the wisdom to know when not to use it.”_

_Magnus tapped his fingernail on the table. “Hmm. That’s an interesting theory. All right, well, hypothetical number two: I care about the wellbeing of innocent people and when someone comes to me for help in achieving that end, I do my best to offer my assistance. What say you to that?”_

_“I’d believe it. But I’m still grateful for your…discretion concerning me. You don’t owe me that at all.”_

_“Maybe it’s because the secret is only valuable as long as it remains as such.”_

_Alec ran his finger around the rim of his glass. “Maybe. Whatever the reason, thank you. It protects the family I have left, and allows me to do what I’ve been called to do.”_

_Magnus just looked at Alec for a moment before he spoke again. “I want to cash in.”_

_“Already?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“Well?” Alec prompted, preparing to negotiate terms._

_“I would like to meet with you again.”_

_Alec had not had any prior expectations to what Magnus would ask him for, but this had certainly not been in the realm of possibility for him just a moment ago. He almost didn’t know how to answer. “Um?” slipped out before he could think of a real response._

_“I haven’t met someone like you in this line of work. I’m intrigued.”_

_That didn’t seem too hard to agree to. Alec was certainly fascinated by Magnus, and becoming allies would be a huge benefit for him. He wasn’t quite sure that it was even fair to agree to, because he had a lot less to offer Magnus than Magnus had to offer him. “All right, sure. When?”_

* * *

 

Before the sun was even up yet, Alec was just starting to wake up. He was tangled in bed sheets and a warm body. He twisted his head to get a look at Magnus, sound asleep and breathing against Alec’s skin. With a smile, he kissed the tip of Magnus’ nose and nuzzled his cheek softly, then carefully slid out from under the sheets and Magnus’ arm hanging off his hipbone.

Alec didn’t particularly enjoy waking up early, but he was perfectly capable of doing it when he needed to. Magnus, on the other hand, was barely coherent before 10am, so even on the rare occasion they woke up early together, Magnus could barely say a word and his movements were lethargic; he was absolutely useless.

He padded into the kitchen and filled Chairman Meow’s food bowl, preempting the small cat’s surprisingly ferocious swipes at his ankles to demand breakfast. At the moment, however, the Chairman was still fast asleep on the couch, snoring louder than Alec thought possible for such a small cat.

He made himself a bowl of cereal, took a shower, got dressed, and brought home breakfast for Magnus all before six thirty. He left the bagels on the breakfast bar with a note for Magnus, gave Chairman Meow a scratch behind the ears, then grabbed his things and headed out for the day.

Assassins had pretty flexible schedules, as it turned out. Alec did prefer early mornings on the days he had a mark to take out, though, because he liked time to plan, even though he was more than capable of doing it all on the fly. It wasn’t at all prideful to say that he was good at his job, and he should be, given the hours he spent working out, training with new weapons, and studying blueprints and city maps. It was important that he was good at what he did. There’s not much honor in murder, to be sure, but there _was_ honor in the protection he offered.

He went to the coffee shop down the street and ordered his usual. He was a regular customer, which happened to come in particularly handy today, because the man he was waiting for frequented this shop as well.

Brad Evans.  Twenty six. Born July 19th, 1982. Caucasian male. Brown hair and brown eyes. Six foot three. Bank teller embezzling funds. All charges dropped courtesy of defense attorneys Robert and Maryse Lightwood.

Alec slipped on his glasses and propped his feet up on the chair across the table. He’d brought a stack of books with him to keep occupied, all of which he was no more than a few chapters into. It was a horrible habit of his, starting a book multiple times and, more often than not, never finishing it. Magnus constantly teased him for it.

Each time the bell on the main door gave a soft ding, Alec glanced up quickly to check that time hadn’t slipped away from him yet. Brad Evans came for coffee at 9am sharp.

The fifth time the bell dinged, it was him. Alec glanced at his watch: 9:00.

***          *          *          ***

**I got you some of those bagels you like for breakfast to make up for having to leave early this morning. Couldn’t bear to wake you, but I promise I didn’t leave without a kiss. I already fed the Chairman, so both of you are taken care of. Be safe, I love you.**

Magnus set the note down with an affectionate grin and scooped up Chairman Meow. “Alec pampers us, doesn’t he?” The Chairman simply purred and rubbed his head against Magnus’ stubble.

Today, Magnus had a shipment to meet down at the docks. He was intercepting a drop by one of the biggest cartels in Brooklyn. The benefits of Magnus’ bloodline, as eldest son of a crime lord, were almost at equilibrium with the consequences, but one of its more useful pros was the ability to call in favors.

It wasn’t a secret to anyone that Magnus was not Asmodeus’ right hand. However, no one knew the extent to which Magnus had fractured the relationship with his father, nor the bond they still shared that defied convention. As such, leverage was one of Magnus’ greatest advantages.

After a cup of coffee and a bagel, Magnus did his morning yoga routine and took a shower. While Alec was purposeful and efficient in almost everything he did, Magnus was unashamedly luxurious whenever he could get away with it. Indulgence was something he took very seriously.

After getting dressed, he was just about to give Catarina a call when his phone dinged.

 

**[From: R. Santiago, 12:41pm]**

**Meet me**

Magnus slipped his phone into his pocket, shrugged on his shoulder holster and jacket, and quickly rushed out the door. The docks weren’t too far but Magnus called for his driver. As soon as he arrived, he made his way around the back to meet with Raphael Santiago. He was Magnus’ prized inside man, heavily involved in regulating black market trade. And yet, he remained fiercely loyal to Magnus, likely for the way he didn’t pull punches when it came to holding the line with the suppliers for the protection of people like Raphael.

“Magnus.”

He turned and saw Raphael emerge from the shadows of a row of storage units. He had a key ring that he was twirling between his fingers aimlessly. “I found the cargo. Follow me.”

The two made their way through rows of storage units until Raphael stopped at one and swiftly unlocked it. “I sure hope you know what you’re doing, _jefe_. _No sé que estará ocurrir, pero no va a ser bueno_.”

Magnus smiled. “ _¿No tienes confianza en mí?_ ”

Raphael rolled his eyes and yanked the door up. Inside were piles of cardboard boxes labelled with symbols Magnus recognized as identifiers for pharmaceutical drugs.

Magnus ran his hands lightly over them, checking that the tape sealing them hadn’t been tampered with. He smiled and turned to Raphael. “Make the call.”

*          *          *          *

**[From: Magnus, 11:30am]**

**Thank you for bringing me breakfast—I owe you a personalized favor tonight. I’m always safe, don’t be silly. I love you.**

Alec tucked his phone inside his jacket and returned his attention to Brad Evans, gagged and bound in the back of his car. Alec pulled the door open and yanked him out, dropping him on the gravel of the abandoned parking lot.

“Who the fuck are you, man?”

Alec used the toe of his boot to roll him over onto his back, settling his foot on Evans’ chest to hold him still. “An equalizer, if you like. Your shit is overbalancing, Brad. I’m here to fix that problem for you.”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything!”

Alec dug his foot in harder against the man’s ribs. “A little more pressure and those are going to crack. You sure you want to do that?”

Evans wheezed, shaking his head furiously.

Alec removed his foot and bent down next to him. “I know about the money.”

“If you’re talking about the bank, the chargers were dropped!”

Alec stood up and circled Evans slowly. “Did you really think that those lawyers would get you off and then everyone would just forget? You suddenly wouldn’t be responsible?”

“I wasn’t the only one. There were three other guys; they were the ones in charge of the whole operation. I just set up the dummy account for them to transfer the money into. I didn’t take anything from anyone.”

Alec set his boot against Evans’ throat, pressing gently. “You’re dumber than I thought. Who were the other men?”

“If I tell you, will you let me go?”

“I’ll consider it.” Alec released the pressure on the man’s throat and stepped back.

“Brian Branch, Calvin Doone, and Michael Lane.”

Alec nodded, pulling out his gun.

“Woah, woah, woah, I thought we had a deal!”

Alec inspected the arrow etched into the barrel with a neutral expression. “I said I’d consider it. Is that all the information you’ve got for me?”

“I told you, I barely did anything at all, man! I don’t even have control of the account or access to the money yet.”

“You’re the worst criminal I’ve ever heard of,” Alec sighed with exasperation, rolling his eyes. “The money you allowed these men to take from people was, in some cases, all they had to their names. You took their lives from them. Why should you get to keep yours?”

“I didn’t know who they were stealing from, I swear. I swear! All I did was open the account!” Evans wailed.

Alec cocked his gun and shot a clean hole straight through his forehead. “Shut up.” He wiped his chin with the back of his hand, smearing some of the blood spatter across his jaw.

*          *          *          *

**[From: Alexander, 4:18pm]**

**I’m on my way home, see you in a bit.**

“Come on guys, really?” Magnus was perched on top of one of the cardboard boxes, Raphael at his side, when the storage unit was opened. It was three against two, quite an even match for Magnus.

“Bane. Hand it over.”

Magnus twirled his butterfly knife aimlessly between his fingers. “What? The merchandise? No way.”

The man in front pulled a gun from his belt, holding it back and to the side.

“Your boss and I made a deal.” Magnus slid off the crate and walked closer. “I can be pretty persuasive. I told him it was a bad idea for you boys to try to lay claim to this. He agreed after I helped him see things my way. He won’t be happy that you violated the contract.”

One of the men took a step back in a movement that could be taken to be surrendering. Magnus pointed at him with his knife. “I like that one.”

The other two moved forward.

Magnus felt Raphael join him, standing at his left elbow. His teeth were bared slightly.

“You’re Bane’s pet now?”

Raphael snorted softly. “He takes good care of his people. I’m not someone’s lapdog, like you.”

Both men pulled their guns and Magnus snapped into action. He punched the first man and disarmed the second, taking him down easy and pinning his wrist to take the gun from him. Raphael grabbed his arms and hauled him to his feet.

Magnus pointed the borrowed gun at the first man, who now had his gun trained on Magnus. “Last chance,” Magnus warned lowly.

When the man raised his gun, Magnus fired on instinct, trained right at the center of his forehead. He handed the gun to Raphael then stood over the body, shaking his head. “That’s the last time I’ll be doing business with Grant for a while. He owes me one for cleaning up his mess.”

Raphael crossed himself with his free hand, the other still locked tight on the other man.

Magnus looked at the two remaining. “Get lost. Don’t ever let me catch you breaking a deal between me and your boss ever again.” They both nodded and were quick to leave.

Magnus sighed and put a hand on Raphael’s shoulder wordlessly.

“You should call Grant before the others get to him,” Raphael advised. “I’ll take care of the body.”

*          *          *          *

**[From: Magnus, 6:39pm]**

**Just left the docks. I’m bringing dinner, so you better be hungry.**

Alec smiled to himself, then tossed his phone on the bed and stripped out of his bloody clothes to take a hot shower. His muscles were tight and he had a bit of a headache. Usually, he took short showers, no longer than ten minutes, but this evening he lingered a bit, reveling in the burn of the water and the gentle touch of the steam.

Just as he emerged from the bedroom in a towel, the door opened to reveal Magnus, holding a pizza box against his hip and a case of beer in the other hand. At the sight of Alec, he grinned devilishly. “Mmm. I’m the one who owes you the thank-you tonight, but I certainly am not objecting.” He set the food on the table and went to Alec, sliding his hand down his shoulders to rest on the small of his back, blunt nails scratching lightly.

Alec stifled a soft hum of pleasure and nipped at Magnus’ earlobe. His nose tickled the soft skin behind it, and he reveled in the smell of Magnus’ skin. A bit of sweat and sandalwood, but also the natural tang of his skin. “I’m glad you’re home.”

Magnus gently pried him off so that he could level their gazes. He puckered his lips and gave Alec a noisy kiss that made them laugh into each other’s mouths. Squeezing Alec’s ass made him buck lightly against Magnus, turning his laugh into a gentle moan. “I’m glad to _be_ home,” Magnus returned.

Their days usually followed this pattern, and though predictable, neither would change it for anything. No matter what they had to scrub off from the day and try to forget, there was always that beacon of light back at the loft, waiting. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome back! thank you for sticking through the heavy exposition of last chapter! this one has some more important exposition as well but hopefully you won't mind so much. this is where the story really begins, so to speak!

Alec was jolted awake by the harsh grinding noise of his phone vibrating against the bedside table. He groaned and stretched luxuriously, then reached for it. “This is Alec.”

Magnus, sitting out in the living room with a large mug of coffee in his hands that Chairman Meow kept trying to rub his face on, heard Alec’s voice like a soft murmur through the walls.

It was rare that Magnus was awake before Alec, but this morning, by around 8, he had been too restless to try sleeping any longer. All night long he had been tossed from one strange and vivid dream to the next, leaving him disoriented and frustrated each time he woke up. To be sure he stayed awake for the time being, he had gotten up, made coffee, and turned on the news to begin his day. He had fully intended to allow Alec to sleep as late as he wanted, but clearly it was a fruitless attempt now that he was awake, not fifteen minutes after Magnus.

When Alec emerged, hair mussed and flat on one side, and rubbing at his left eye sleepily, Magnus felt a warm spark shock him from the inside. It was common for him by now to react to Alec that way. He was used to feeling as if his heart were overflowing with affection every time he looked at him or heard his voice. “Good morning, darling.”

Alec gave him a tired smile and padded over to him, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to his temple. “Morning.”

Chairman Meow averted his attention from Magnus’ coffee to Alec, batting at his hand playfully.

“I didn’t forget about you, Chairman. I think you might have some separation anxiety we should discuss,” Alec murmured to the small cat, rubbing behind his ears and eliciting a deep purr.

Magnus laughed, putting the television on mute. “So, who was that on the phone?”

“Prospective client. They want to set up a consultation today.” Alec made his way to the kitchen, flicking the coffee maker to life. “Your turn,” he called to Magnus, his head inside the refrigerator as he surveyed his breakfast options.

“What?” Magnus called back with a grin.

“I said, ‘your turn!’”

“What?”

“ _I said_ —” Alec abruptly cut himself off and walked back into the living room to glare at Magnus, his hands on his hips. “Very funny, Magnus.”

Magnus laughed, sitting up on the couch. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it. What did you want to ask me?”

“Why are you up so early? I thought anything before 10 was atrocious.”

Magnus bit his lip, his smile fading slightly, and Alec immediately sensed the shift in his demeanor.

“Magnus, did something happen? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just… I was having some strange dreams. Going back to sleep was becoming pretty unlikely.”

Alec sat down next to Magnus, facing him with a concerned expression. “Nightmares?”

“Not necessarily. Just…strange. They were just oddly real.”

Alec’s eyebrows furrowed so deeply that a sharp crease formed between them. “Has something happened that you haven’t told me about?”

This wasn’t the first time Magnus had been plagued by invasive dreams. It happened every now and then when Magnus was shouldering too many burdens at once. He toiled over them obsessively until he reached a breaking point.

Magnus rubbed his forefinger and thumb together anxiously. It happened often when he was feeling too much at once. “It’s probably nothing,” he began, “but on the other hand…”

Alec paled. Magnus was never wrong when he had these types of intuitive feelings about something or someone. This meant trouble on the horizon. “Magnus.”

Magnus nodded, relenting. “Someone I haven’t heard from in years… Someone I believed was dead seems to have resurfaced here in Brooklyn.”

“How do you know?”

“I saw him, and I was warned by Catarina.”

“This is someone that Catarina knows?”

“Yes. She and I were once friends with this man, until we realized that there was something off about him. Something dangerous. He was getting himself into deep trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“Involvement with a drug cartel that was trying to make connections on the west coast.”

Alec closed his eyes and shook his head once.

“Last we heard he was done away with for double crossing. But apparently that was a rumor because he’s alive. Here. Which means bad news for a lot of people.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Nothing yet. The best plan of action for the time being is to just gather intel.”

Alec nodded, rubbing his thumb over the back of Magnus’ hand. “That sounds like a solid plan.”

Magnus gave Alec’s hand a gentle squeeze then picked up his coffee mug in both hands. “Sorry to concern you. I didn’t mean for it to get this bad.”

“How long have you known?”

“A few days.”

Alec was about to remind Magnus for the millionth time that he wished he would just tell him when these things came up, but he thought better of it. Instead, he stood back up. “I’m thinking I’m going to make some pancakes. Yay or nay?”

“Yay,” Magnus smiled, picking up Chairman Meow and giving him a noisy kiss before setting him down on the rug.

Alec went to the kitchen to get his coffee and prepare breakfast, then joined Magnus on the couch. Magnus’ feet were in his lap, and Alec had one hand lazily running up and down the soft expanse of the underside of Magnus’ forearm. When they finished eating, Magnus put their plates and cups in the sink then rejoined Alec.

“What time is your consultation today?”

“1:45.” Alec glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’ve got plenty of time.”

Magnus shifted closer to Alec, a stone’s throw from straddling him. “I’ve got some ideas for how we could pass the time. If you’re up for it.”

Alec grinned at Magnus, leaning in for a kiss. There was a little touch of sweet syrup on the corner of Magnus’ mouth that Alec happily sucked off his skin, making Magnus laugh. “I’m game.”

After a few hours of kissing and talking and cuddling the Chairman between them, Alec and Magnus had to separate to go their own ways for the day.

“I’ll be home around six; want to do Chinese for dinner?” Alec asked, planting a kiss on Magnus’ forehead as he headed towards the bedroom to change.

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Magnus put on his watch and fixed his hair, then checked himself one last time in the mirror. “Take out or dine in?”

“Take out,” Alec called back, his voice muffled. “I’m going to be too exhausted to be social.”

Magnus laughed, leaning on the back of the couch to wait for Alec to come back in. He inspected his nails, checking for any chips in his nail polish.

“So where are you off to?” Alec asked, slipping on his leather jacket and securing his shoulder holsters.

“I’m going to go have another talk with Catarina at the hospital and see if I can’t get some more details from her about Castle.”

“Castle?”

“Peter Castle, my persistent bacterium,” Magnus answered bitterly, his mouth turned down slightly and his nose wrinkled in disgust.

“Be careful. Promise me.” Alec moved in close to Magnus, running his index finger down the side of Magnus’ hand all the way to the tip of his pinky finger. Magnus’ curled it before Alec pulled away, capturing his finger.

“I promise.”

Alec nodded then started walking backwards to the door, keeping his gaze on Magnus. “If you need backup, let me know. But please don’t do anything stupid.”

Magnus rolled his eyes playfully. “You’re one to talk, hitter. I’ve been in the business much longer than you. I know what I’m doing.” He held his arms up and slightly to the side, palms up. “I’m packing plenty of heat.”

Anyone who wasn’t familiar with hiding weapons would never have even noticed the areas Magnus was indicating, but Alec could spot places with unique creases or subtle curves that weren’t organic. “Eight?”

“Twelve. But you’re getting better.” Magnus winked and took one last look around the apartment to be sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. Once he was satisfied, he followed behind Alec to the elevator.

*          *          *          *

“Catarina Loss?”

“She’s in the cafeteria just down the hall.” The nurse at the front desk pointed at the doorway to his left.

As he made his way in, he spotted her easily, sitting at a small table by the windows with a book in one hand and a forkful of pasta suspended in midair, an inch from her open mouth. Magnus smiled to himself, wondering how long she’d been sitting like that. Deciding not to sneak up on her, he came around the row of tables beside her so she could see him approaching.

As soon as she looked up at him, her expression melted into a smile so full of warmth that Magnus felt as if his heart were being constricted. He wasn’t used to anyone looking so happy to see him, and he couldn’t blame them.  Alec gave him that soft look sometimes too, and it was one of the only things in the world that could make Magnus turn shy and blush.

Catarina set down her fork and stood up, embracing Magnus tightly. “It’s so good to see you, Magnus.” She rubbed his back affectionately.

The smell of her perfume had become something Magnus equated to safety and comfort. She’d worn it ever since they were teenagers. It was familiar, unchanged.

“I missed you, Cat,” Magnus murmured, pulling back but keeping his hands on the tops of her arms to keep her close. “You look exhausted.”

She laughed and sat back down, gesturing for Magnus to do the same. “No rest for the wicked. You and I both know that all too well.”

Magnus smiled and pointed at her in agreement. “But you’re doing okay?”

“Sure. Life is tough but we get through. I get to help people, and that’s the most rewarding thing I could be doing. Even if it’s not easy.”

Magnus looked down at his hands.

What a pair the two of them were. Catarina saved people, patched them up. She practically performed miracles daily. She brought people hope and happiness. Magnus often _put_ people in the hospital, broke them. Sure, what he did saved a lot of people in the long run, and he knew it was the best thing he could do for his city. But at the end of the day, he wasn’t a good person. He was somewhere in between at best.

When Magnus met Catarina, she was volunteering in the hospital during her junior year of high school. She patched him up after he had found himself on the bad side of some of his father’s disgruntled suppliers. Cat had asked him how it happened and he told her the truth in a sarcastic tone, believing she couldn’t possibly think he was telling the truth. However, he had made a crucial error in judgement by combining telling the truth with being shirtless for the examination, leaving his tattoo of the family crest in full view on his left pectoral. One look at it and he could see in her eyes that she was assembling the puzzle pieces. He prepared himself for her horrified gaze, or even worse, pity, but neither one happened. She put a gentle hand on his arm, gave him a soft smile, and stitched up his bullet wound.

In all her compassion, she had never doubted Magnus’ goodness. She had never once abandoned him or been ashamed of him. She knew pretty early into their friendship what he was. What he came from.

His father, Asmodeus, had never been married, just had flings that lasted no longer than a few years. Magnus and his four brothers all had different mothers. He didn’t know his. Only two of his brothers knew their mothers. Asmodeus always kept custody of the child from the relationship because he wanted to build his empire, his legacy. All five of his sons were brought up with the finest homeschool educations money could buy. He had spared no expense. It was crucial that his boys were smart, cunning. Only the best survived, and he’d be damned if they weren’t the best.

Asmodeus was a cold man but family mattered to him. Magnus had also always been his favorite child; partially because Magnus’ mother was the only woman he ever loved, which Asmodeus had told him in confidence, and partially because Magnus was his only equal. His father was a proud man who languished without someone who matched his stature, so he couldn’t bear to cut himself off from the only person who rivaled him in wit, wisdom, and defiance.

When he was a teenager, Magnus began to put together the pieces and knew his father was up to something nefarious. He started to wonder how they had the kind of money they did, how he was able to get them anything they wanted, and why people were intimidated when they heard Asmodeus’ name. As the oldest son, Magnus was the first to be offered a chance to join his father and the empire he built. He would have everything he could ever dream of and more if he accepted; he knew that even without his father telling him outright. He refused, however, because no matter how much he wanted the things he knew he could get, he couldn’t stand the idea of, as his father’s right hand, polluting the city and its people with things that could grow into something worse just so he could be on top.

Asmodeus accepted his decision, and even though Magnus was afraid he would be disowned by the only people who’d ever been close to him, he allowed Magnus to continue to live under his roof, under the protection of his authority and sustained recognition as the son of underworld royalty. He allowed Magnus the chance to refuse the tattoo of the family crest that was a rite of passage when celebrating their fifteenth birthday. Magnus surprised Asmodeus by accepting the offer. For a while, Magnus himself didn’t know why he agreed, but now, looking back, he knew why. It was a lesson; he knew what he came from, and he wouldn’t deny it, but it would hold no power over him. 

Catarina put her hand over Magnus’, squeezing his fingers. “Are you here about Castle? Did something happen?”

Magnus laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “You know me too well.”

She gave him a small smile that only lasted a moment before her expression grew concerned. “Magnus. What have you done?”

“Jesus, you _and_ Alec! Ye of little faith. It’s insulting, you know.”

“Did he find you?” she pressed.

“No,” Magnus responded softly, shaking his head. “But I bet it’s only a matter of time. He knows my legacy. Knows who my father is, who my brothers are. If he’s here with the west coast cartel, that means trouble. For a lot of people.”

“What’s your plan?”

“See what I can find out about why he’s here. What he plans to do. Who his allies are.”

“I don’t know much, but I hear whispers, you know. You people are prone to coming to my hospital to be put back together.” She smiled wryly. “I know that he’s looking for an in somewhere. Someone who has a lot of connections, maybe someone like you. He’s still with the cartel; he’s their pawn, so to speak. He has value to an extent, but he’s the one they send in to do their dirty work because he’s expendable if he fails.”

Magnus drummed his fingers on the table, thinking. “I bet an alliance with my father is something they’re considering.”

Catarina nodded thoughtfully. “It wouldn’t surprise me.”

Magnus bit his lip for a moment then straightened up. “If you hear anything else—”

“Of course, Magnus. _Of course_.” She was quiet for a moment. “Please be careful. I’m not joking. I know that you’re strong and capable; I’ve seen it for myself. I could never doubt you, but this could become something bigger than you’ve faced before. Castle is just the tip of the iceberg. Please just…be safe. For my sake. For Alec’s.”

“I’m always thinking of you both.” Magnus stood up, straightening his shirt. “I’ll see you soon, okay? Next time it won’t be so long. I’m sorry.” He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.

“At least you’re a reliable texter.”

*          *          *          *

Across town, Alec was seated in his office, waiting for his consultation to begin. The office building Alec worked in was lower end, which kept away people like his parents—people who felt like ghosts that existed solely to be sure he couldn’t forget where he came from and what he could never change about his past. They reminded him of why he did his job in the first place: atonement. He had to fix things the only way he knew how to.

While he didn’t only take on jobs regarding criminals his parents had set free, they made up a large percentage of them.

Robert and Maryse Lightwood were two of the most sought out defense attorneys in Brooklyn, notorious for using any means necessary to get their clients off. They took any case they thought they could win and spared no thought for justice. Alec had seen, ever since his childhood, the dangers of combining great capability to lie and manipulate with the deep-rooted incapability of loving anything more than they loved power, prestige, and money.

Alec had done his best to protect his sister and brothers from their destructive tendencies. While they were never at a loss for money and resources, the Lightwood children were never able to use them to pursue their own interests.

Jace wanted to be part of the NYPD. That dream was instantly crushed, however, by Robert and Maryse, who despised cops. Instead, he became an airline pilot, at Alec’s urging, after confiding in him his interest.

Isabelle wanted to be a medical examiner. Alec was the one who made sure it happened, helping her pay for school with his savings and then putting aside more money every month once he started to accrue some disposable income in his new line of work.

Max wanted to be a history professor. Even as young as he was, he knew what he wanted. Their parents were still trying to use his young age to their advantage, however. He was the baby of the family; the last hope they had for a child who would follow in their footsteps. Their valiant efforts to steer him in the direction that they had tried and failed to ensure for the others were still persisting.

Jace and Isabelle knew what Alec did for a living. He was honest with them, to a degree, from the start because he couldn’t bear to lie to them. They knew he couldn’t bring himself to be a lawyer like their parents wanted him to be, and as they all got older and learned more about what their parents truly did under the guise of promoting justice, they couldn’t hold it against him that he worked to right their wrongs. They knew he had done illegal things, taken lives, but they also knew he had protected many innocent people who were incapable of protecting themselves. He never told them the details, never told them what he was doing or where he was going, but every now and then one of Alec’s marks would show up missing in the papers and Jace and Izzy knew in their hearts what it meant. In fact, Alec had chosen Jace’s surname as his work name, as Jace had never legally been addressed by Wayland after the age of one, when the Lightwoods adopted him, so he knew it was well covered. The name provided a level of comfort for Alec; a single tie to what he left behind.

As far as Max was concerned, Alec refused to allow him to be corrupted by both their parents _and_ him, refusing to allow Max to know anything about what he did. Saving lives by taking lives didn’t make him a good person. Max was destined for greatness Alec had never been in line for. Jace and Izzy respected Alec’s wishes of course, but made sure Max knew that Alec saved people’s lives. He was good, they said to him. Alec appreciated it, but he knew in his heart that love truly was blind. And they didn’t know that he kept things buried deep inside to protect them from himself.

A soft knock on the door caught Alec’s attention. When he opened it, he found himself face to face with a girl who couldn’t be older than seventeen. She was looking at him dubiously, arms wrapped protectively around her middle. “Alec Wayland?”

He stepped aside and gestured for her to come in.

She looked around the room cautiously then sat down in the chair across from his. She was silent, waiting for Alec’s prompting. He took a seat and leaned in towards her. “What’s your name?”

“Callie Roberts.”

“How old are you?”

She frowned slightly. “Nineteen.” Her voice wavered.

He almost hated to call out her lie; she clearly needed someone’s help. She couldn’t have had anyone else to turn to if she was buying the help of an assassin. When he looked at her, he thought of Isabelle. He wondered how he would feel, knowing she couldn’t find help anywhere else. It made him sick to think of her looking as desperate and afraid as this girl. He simply responded to her comment by raising an eyebrow, trying to handle the situation delicately.

She tilted her chin up slightly, defiant. “Please, Mr. Wayland. I don’t have anyone else that I can turn to; no one I can depend on to help me. Please.”

He couldn’t turn her away. Usually he was good about not getting personally involved with jobs, but this was the first time he’d ever had a prospective client who was, at best, barely legal, and lacking means and stability. “Tell me about the man you mentioned on the phone.”

Callie swallowed, cracking her knuckles anxiously. “I, um… A few weeks ago, I was walking back to my apartment. It was dark out and a lot of the street lights on my block are broken, so I couldn’t see very well. I was almost home when something hit me in the back of the head and knocked me out. I woke up in the trunk of a car. It wasn’t long after I woke up that the trunk opened and I was being dragged out. The guy just…looked at me for a moment, then injected me with something and left me wherever we were. Someone must have found me and taken me to a hospital, because that’s where I woke up. I didn’t have any information to give the police that mattered; they just told me they were sorry for what I went through and had the hospital recommend me a therapist.” She paused, trying to read Alec’s facial expression.

He knew what she was asking him to do. She had said as much on the phone. But now that he had the details, he had no idea whether he could accept, let alone whether it would even be possible. “You want me to find him but you don’t know what he looks like or why he took you.”

“He had platinum silver hair that was long on the top and short on the sides, and he had a big scar on his neck. I know that for sure. It’s not much to go on, Mr. Wayland; I’m sorry. The problem is I don’t have any options left. Please.”

Alec sighed quietly, tapping his fingers together in thought. Maybe it would be a dead end, and maybe he couldn’t give her the justice she wanted, but he couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t try. “Okay. I’ll take the job.”

Her steely demeanor relaxed into something less defensive and she slumped weakly, deflating, as if the interaction had sapped her energy. “Really?”

“Really.” Alec got up and went to his bookshelf, taking down a lockbox. He opened it and took out a phone that he handed to Callie. “This is a burner phone. All you need to know about it is that you and I will be able to contact each other at any time. If we make any further arrangements to meet, it will be in a public place of my choosing. I assume you’re aware of my price?”

Callie nodded and put the phone in her purse. “Thank you. Thank you.”  He nodded, then opened the door for her as she hurried out, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her coat.

Alec left the office ten minutes later and hailed a taxi. He sent Magnus a text to tell him he’d be home in a bit, and stopped off at Golden Dragon to get takeout like he’d promised.

**[From: Magnus, 5:46 pm]**

**Long day, lots to tell you. I need to pick your brain.**

**[From: Alec, 5:48pm]**

**I’m all yours. Bringing home takeout so we won’t have to leave the loft tonight. Got something I want to run by you as well.**

**[From: Magnus, 5:52 pm]**

**You’re so good to me. See you in a bit!**

**[From: Magnus, 5:53pm]**

**Hdvmomgirghurfhrwkfm**

**[From: Magnus, 5:54pm]**

**Chairman apparently wanted to say hi. Love you.**

Alec smiled and tucked his phone in his pocket, returning to the taxi with their takeout.

The second Alec set foot in the apartment, Chairman Meow was weaving between his legs excitedly, rubbing his face enthusiastically against his ankles. “Hi, Chairman.” He set the bag of food down on the dining room table and shrugged off his jacket. “Magnus? I’m home!”

“Just a second!” Magnus’ voice was coming from somewhere in the hallway off the kitchen.

Alec unpacked the takeout boxes and set the table. After a moment of consideration, he grabbed a bottle of wine and poured them each a generous glass.

“Alexander,” Magnus greeted warmly, a soft smile on his face. He pressed a kiss to the corner of Alec’s mouth and gave his wrist a squeeze. “Mm, what a day.”

Alec gave him a sympathetic smile. “Have a drink and some food, you’ll feel better.”

They ate in silence for a bit, both hungry and worn out from the day.

Alec was the first to speak. “I think I’m in over my head with this client, Magnus.”

Magnus cocked his head to the side slightly, encouraging Alec to continue.

“The girl who called me for a consultation…she’s practically a child. She told me she was nineteen but I did some digging in her records. She’s not even sixteen yet. She’s scared and alone, and likely dealing with PTSD. She was kidnapped a few weeks ago, then dumped in the street soon after the abduction. She’s confused and wants answers, but she’s got no information to go on except a limited physical description.”

“He dumped her right after he took her? That’s significant,” Magnus mused. “And not a good sign. It likely means he’s thought this out and is setting something in motion.”

“That’s what I was thinking too. The problem is, we’ve got no clue what it is. What’s his motive? What is he looking for? Why didn’t she fit the bill?”

Magnus chewed thoughtfully. “Maybe he’s recruiting for a prostitution ring.”

“I doubt he would have dumped her if that was the case. I can’t think of one that wouldn’t want someone like her. She’s young and pretty, which is usually just their type.”

“What did she say the man looked like?”

“All she knows for sure is that he had silver hair and a big scar on the right side of his neck.”

With a loud clattering sound, Magnus’ fork fell from his hand to his plate. His eyes were narrowed and steeled, his eyebrows a harsh outline around them. “What did you say?”

“I just said he—”

“A big scar on the right side of his neck? You’re sure?”

“That’s what she told me. Magnus, what does that mean?”

Magnus stood, his wine glass gripped tightly in his hand. His knuckles had gone white.

Alec got up and followed close behind. They found themselves leaning against the cold concrete of the balcony. The street below was glowing with car lights and lampposts, gold and warm.

“That man your client described is Peter Castle. There’s no denying it now. There’s something bad happening here, Alexander. God knows who else from the cartel or one of their brother empires is here. Maybe they’re expanding their business reach.”

Alec swallowed, not knowing what to say. This was something significantly bigger than any job he’d ever taken before. He only worked isolated crimes, akin to pulling weeds. This case on his horizon was more like a fully grown plant that had put down roots so deep and expansive that they were choking the other plants to death in order to stay alive. “I—I’ve never faced something like this, Magnus. I’m just an assassin. Dime a dozen, remember?”

Magnus turned to look at him with a hard expression. “Don’t say that.”

“Oh god, no,” Alec backpedaled, “I just meant that I’m not equipped for something like this. I do isolated incidents and rogues. I don’t know the first thing about underworld alliances and suppliers and contracts and business deals. That’s your world, not mine. I don’t think I can help this girl.”

Magnus’ fingers flexed, his short nails scratching at the ridges on the cold concrete. “You’re not going to do this by yourself. Castle’s got a bone to pick with me; I’m responsible in part for what he does. We’ll do this together.” He lifted his hand, placing it over Alec’s, cold to the touch from the autumn air.

Alec looked at him, his eyes searching Magnus’. There was safety in those eyes, for Alec. They saw him and still loved him. They had seen horrible things, and yet they were still soft and warm. He dipped his chin, a determined nod. “Together.” He started to lean in towards Magnus, asking permission to get close. Magnus answered by clearing most of the remaining distance, their noses brushing lightly. Closing his eyes, he pressed his lips to Magnus’, reveling in the rapture he felt when they touched. There was nothing in the world like the feeling of soft, warm lips that felt like velvet, punctuated by a soft swipe of tongue.

“You don’t have to be afraid, Alexander,” Magnus said softly. “You and me, we’re going to put an end to this. We’re going to help this girl, put an end to Castle and this fucking cartel, and we’re going to come out on top like we always do.” He paused for a second, licking his lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” The statement paled in comparison to the realization that for him, Magnus was the light; the warmth of hope that he couldn’t bear to let slip through his fingers. Nevertheless, the more times he said it, the truer it became, and there was little more Alec could think of that could be more sincere than that.

Magnus leaned in, tipping their foreheads together and causing their noses to brush.

Alec’s eyes fluttered closed and he exhaled softly at the immediate release of tension he felt coursing through his body. This was a kind of familiarity he had never shared with anyone before. It was always sustained affection that at one time in his life he would have been uncomfortable with. But with Magnus, it felt like the safest place in the world. Puckering his lips slightly to touch Magnus’, he gave him a soft kiss.

Magnus hummed appreciatively and indulged him for a moment before tilting his chin down to separate their lips but keep their foreheads touching.

They stood in silence for another moment, savoring the last seconds in the atmosphere they had created that was slowly starting to dissipate.

“You said you wanted to tell me about something when I got home,” Alec murmured when they separated. “Was it about Castle?”

“It’s kind of pointless now, I suppose. We’ve filled in more blanks in the last twenty minutes than I had after talking to Catarina. She did say, though, that the cartel uses Castle to do their dirty work. Whatever it is that he’s trying to do now, it’s groundwork for the cartel.”

“Where do we start?”

“Find out where he’s staying. Bug it if we can. Also, I think I might have to talk with my father. We’ve scraped together enough information that I think he could be able to help us as well.”

“Your father? Are you sure?”

“Don’t worry, Alexander. He won’t hurt me.” Magnus spoke with finality but Alec, always predisposed to be overprotective, squinted his left eye slightly, conveying his doubt. “My father and I are a lot of things, but disloyal is not one of them. I’m the son of the only woman he ever loved. I’m the closest thing he has to an equal. There’s too much in me that he can’t oppose.”

“If you’re sure, then I’ll trust you.”

“I am.” Magnus pulled down the corner of his shirt to reveal half of the tattoo on his chest.

Alec couldn’t truthfully say he could understand how the things Magnus was saying could be true because he came from a family in which there was certainly no love lost between him and his parents. When he chose to leave the life they wanted for him, they were quick to let him go. He’d never had any connection to his parents beyond blood and birth, but apparently Magnus had with his father, and Alec didn’t mean to doubt that. He nodded at Magnus. “Okay. Then do it. Do you want me to come with you?”

“It’s better if I do this alone. Asking my father for help to work against him is not something he’ll be able to swallow easily. Bringing along my assassin vigilante lover who targets people like him might be just a bit too much for him.”

Alec smirked, running his index finger over the curve of Magnus’ shoulder. “Whatever you think is best.”

Magnus was quiet for a moment, leading Alec to believe the topic was closed, but then he spoke again. “You _want_ to meet Asmodeus?”

“He’s your father, whose legacy you’ve accepted. You two share a really complicated connection, but…that’s more than anything I ever had. That matters to me too, Magnus.”

Magnus craned his neck to reach Alec’s lips and gave him a kiss. “You’re a hell of a man, Alec Lightwood.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! hope you're ready for things to kick up another notch! 
> 
> also, a trigger warning ahead for depiction of a panic attack. if that is something that you're not comfortable with, skip the last section!

_Alec leaned against the counter of the coffee shop, waiting for Magnus to arrive. They’d agreed to 1:30 at Branson’s, and Alec had been so worried he would be late that he ended up arriving embarrassingly early and sitting on the bench outside for a while before finally venturing in at ten ‘til. At least he’d brought a book with him so he wouldn’t look quite so pathetic._

_“Large red eye!” the barista called, sliding a sleeve up the base of the cup._

_“Thanks.” Alec carefully scooped it up and grabbed the most private table he could find. After removing the lid from his cup to let some of the steam out, he pulled out his old, tattered copy of_ East of Eden _. When Izzy was a freshman in high school, she had to read it, and after every chapter, she would ask Alec to explain the symbolism and metaphors only to complain that it seemed superfluous for everything to mean something profound. He smiled at the memory._

_When the door opened again, it was Magnus who glided in, running a hand through his hair. Alec had to marvel at how insanely good Magnus always looked. He had much more incentive than Alec, however, given the amount of socializing he had to do and how crucial it was to keep up appearances in his line of work. Alec, on the other hand, had very little contact with his clients or his marks, and no one expected much flair from him. His monochromatic wardrobe seemed to fit the motif of someone who worked alone in a career that required a modicum of anonymity. He returned to his book quickly, determined to keep an air of nonchalance._

_The smell of sandalwood and a soft voice that sounded like dripping honey pulled him back out a few minutes later. “Hey stranger.” Magnus was holding a large cup of hot chocolate in one hand and his phone in the other. Today, his nails were painted dark burgundy, and he had on more rings per hand than when they’d met at the bar the other night._

_“Hey.” Alec wasn’t quite sure how to properly greet him, so he shyly gestured to the other chair. “Please, have a seat.”_

_“I hope you haven’t been waiting long,” Magnus said apologetically. “I had some business to attend to and it went longer than I had anticipated.”_

_“Don’t worry about it.”_

_Magnus glanced pointedly at the book lying next to Alec’s hand. “Steinbeck—good choice.”_

_Alec looked at it then back at Magnus. “This one is my favorite. I also like_ The Pearl _.”_

_Magnus nodded thoughtfully, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. “You have good taste.”_

_“Thanks.” Unsure what to do with his hands, Alec settled for drumming on the table._

_“What’s wrong, Alexander? You look nervous.” Magnus gave him a beautiful half smile. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, we’re just having a chat.”_

_“I am still just a bit…baffled by this. I mean, why you wanted to get coffee with me and…hang out, like normal people.”_

_“I told you, you’re quite a rarity in the category of criminal types. I’m fascinated by you and I’d like to understand what’s going on in that pretty head of yours that makes you so exceptional.”_

_A rosy blush crept across Alec’s skin and he couldn’t bear to look into those honest brown eyes any longer without feeling completely exposed._

_“With a name like Alexander, I’m sure great things are expected of you, and I see you’ve risen to the challenge. The protector—‘defender of man.’ Yes? Quite apt.”_

_“I suppose so. Maybe it’s my destiny to be what I am.”_

_“Perhaps. Regardless, we are who we are.” Magnus sounded as if he’d lived centuries when he spoke like that. There was such calm acceptance in his tone. “That was a lesson I certainly had to learn earlier than I would have liked.”_

_“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me. Son of Asmodeus, underworld royalty. The unofficial prince of Brooklyn.”_

_Magnus laughed at that. “An impressive résumé, isn’t it?”_

_“Must have been difficult, growing up with that kind of pressure.”_

_“Yes and no,” Magnus hedged, holding his cup in both hands, the pricks of heat against his palms grounding him. “My father is a complicated man. He’s a business tycoon first and foremost, and that never changed, even when my brothers and I were born, but I would be telling a lie if I said I believed he didn’t care for me. Though he made it clear that we were supposed to grow into the kind of men he would be proud to have working for him, for the empire. He hoped we would be the smartest, strongest, and most valuable assets.”_

_“Are you the only one who didn’t go into the…family business?”_

_“I am. My brothers all became exactly what my father intended: strong, capable, and unswervingly loyal chess pieces.”_

_“Leaving must have been hell,” Alec murmured sympathetically, looking up through his eyelashes at Magnus._

_Magnus was truly struck by his kindness. Of all the times to be sympathetic and compassionate, it shouldn’t have been while Magnus relayed the shame of his past and once-planned future. “It was…certainly not pleasant. I’m extremely lucky, though. My father accepted my decision, and he made sure that my protection as part of his bloodline remained intact. I had expected he would strip me of that status but he didn’t. It’s almost a false pretense, however, that people regard me with all those fancy title that I didn’t earn and certainly don’t deserve.”_

_“No,” Alec disagreed immediately. He couldn’t put his finger on what it was, but there was something undeniably powerful about Magnus that made it an imperative that he stood out from all the rest._

_“Well, I appreciate your vote of confidence, Alexander. So, your turn. You left the family obligations behind as well. Ivy League bound, according to my research.”_

_Alec snorted softly, shaking his head. “Asking me about this is going to be painfully redundant.”_

_Magnus waved the thought away casually, the delicate gold bracelet on his wrist sliding down until it met resistance at the slight protrusion of bone. “I want to hear it from you.”_

_Alec pursed his lips. “I was supposed to be a lawyer like my parents. The plan was that I would graduate and then join them at their firm until they retired and passed it on to me.”_

_“At what point was that no longer the plan?”_

_“I was fifteen when I started thinking maybe law wasn’t for me. That was around the time my parents had started to shove me into the Lightwood mold, breaking off the bits that didn’t fit. I didn’t like who I was going to become, and it scared me. I started tracking their cases wherever I could, and it was clear that honor and justice don’t mean anything to them. I couldn’t do it; I knew five, ten years down the road I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I became like them. So, I applied to all the law schools they wanted, chose to attend their alma mater, and then dropped out the day after I graduated high school. They didn’t have to kick me out because I was already gone.”_

_“So you do what you do out of guilt?” Magnus’ eyebrows were drawn together in concern._

_“Partially, but what drives me more than the guilt is the idea that there’s something I can do to fix what they broke; never enough to make me feel totally blameless when I go to bed at night, but enough to feel like all the bad shit I’ve done means something. Even if I had decided to go through with it and become a lawyer and shoot straight, there’d be a whole lot of people I couldn’t help. The law isn’t really about serving justice; it’s full of loopholes for scumbags like my parents who are willing to keep a criminal from going to jail so that they can cushion their overflowing bank accounts.”_

_Magnus was quiet for a moment, and the silence seemed to return Alec to his default setting: silent and still, eyes cast down shyly. “Alexander, for someone with your career trajectory, you’ve got an impeccable moral compass”_

_Alec looked up at Magnus in surprise, nearly burning his thumb when a splash of coffee was jostled out of the cup and onto his hand._

_“I had a feeling you would surprise me, but this is even beyond my expectation.” He paused, gathering his thoughts. “I’d like to propose an alliance.”_

_“Are you serious?”_

_“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”_

_“I’m just an assassin; I can’t imagine it would be hard for you to rent services from a number of others out there just like me. What good could I possibly do you?”_

_“Alexander, you’re gravely mistaken in thinking someone like you is easy to find. You’re the personification of exceptional by its purest definition. As for why I want to align with an ice man, that’s my business.” Magnus winked. “But I highly value your allegiance to your principles. I haven’t seen much of that, and I believe that it’s one of the most powerful defenses we have.”_

_Alec nodded, rubbing at his palm anxiously. “Okay, I’m in. So, um, how do we do this? A contract or something?”_

_Magnus laughed and the flecks of burgundy in his irises caught the light, momentarily distracting Alec from the matter at hand. “We can, if it would make you more confident in my willingness to uphold my end of the agreement, but I rather thought that we had a nonverbal understanding. That’s my preferred method of reinforcing contracts but very few people value such a thing. I’d like to indulge in your respect for it, if you’d be willing to oblige.”_

_“I’d like that. I’m not good with contracts and written agreements and…” Alec gestured vaguely with his hands and it was terribly endearing. “But a verbal promise, I can certainly do.”_

_With a convivial smile, Magnus held out his hand to Alec, which Alec didn’t hesitate to take. It was a very strange contrast; the smooth, elegant planes of Magnus’ hand with ringed fingers and immaculate nail polish intertwined with Alec’s rough, calloused hands that were exceedingly plain and pale. However, all that dissimilarity wasn’t unpleasant to either man._

* * *

 

Magnus got out of the car and stood at the gates of his father’s estate. He hadn’t been there in years; not since he had left at eighteen. It still looked the same: cold, unwelcoming, and yet ostentatious to a fault. Magnus had spent most of his time wandering the grounds and the garden, where it felt most private. His brothers, on the other hand, had spent most of their time following Asmodeus like a great deformed shadow.

He pressed the call button on the gate, emitting a low buzz. “I’m here to see Asmodeus.” Magnus looked up at the camera and pulled aside his shirt to reveal his tattoo. The gate clicked open immediately.

Two of his father’s guards were waiting to escort him in. Usually guests were physically guided inside by one or both of them, but neither one dared to touch Magnus. He nodded at each one and they fell into step behind him.

Coming back through those doors felt nothing like coming home at all, Magnus found, but rather like returning to place that existed only as a fractured memory. As if it weren’t truly real anymore.

“Magnus!” Asmodeus was descending the staircase with the same grace and intent that Magnus moved with. He had learned from the best, though few people knew it. It was strange to see this small spark of warmth in his father, though Magnus had experienced it directed at him a few times before in his life. Never since his refusal to stand at his father’s right hand, though.

Currently, that position belonged to one of his father’s oldest acquaintances, Azazel. They certainly weren’t friends, but they had remained on good terms given that, time and time again, their alliance had proven to offer vast advantages to both men. Magnus couldn’t help the little bit of pride he felt at the knowledge that his father wouldn’t appoint any of his other sons to the position if Magnus refused it. 

“Father.” Magnus stepped forward to greet him with a firm handshake.

Asmodeus touched the back of Magnus’ hand for a brief moment, then put his hand over Magnus’ heart, where the tattoo rested. “It’s good to see you, my son.”

“You too.” Magnus allowed his careful restraint to slip just a bit in the smile he gave.

Asmodeus waved away his bodyguards then gestured to his den. “Let’s get to business.” That’s how it always was with him. At this point, Magnus expected nothing different.

Azazel was leaning on the desk, talking to someone Magnus didn’t recognize. The second they walked in, he looked up and immediately stopped midsentence. “Magnus.” He strode forward and clasped Magnus’ hand in his. “It’s been quite a long time.”

“It has. How have you been?”

“Not bad.” He turned his attention to Asmodeus. “I’ll leave you two. When you’re done, we have a contract to go over.”

Asmodeus nodded. “I’ll come find you. Excuse us.”

Azazel bowed his head slightly and left the room with the other man, leaving them in silence.

Magnus slowly made his way around the room, letting his fingers run across the bookshelves. There was a record player in the corner, left just the way Magnus remembered. He smiled to himself and sifted through the pile of vinyl next to it.

“You always loved that damn thing. I never knew why.” Asmodeus went over to the mini bar and picked through bottles of alcohol. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Bourbon, please.” Magnus made his choice and placed the needle on the first groove.

“You’ve graduated to the hard stuff. I’m impressed.”

“A lot’s changed over the years.” Magnus continued along the path of the bookshelves as he made his way around the room back to the desk, occasionally letting his fingers ghost over the spines of the tattered old books.

“So it has.” Asmodeus handed him his drink. “I was surprised to hear from you.”

“I’m looking for some information I thought you might be privy to, and in return I can advise you on how to be sure the problem stays out of your circle.”

Asmodeus laughed, taking a sip of his drink. “You always had a proclivity for negotiation. It really is a shame you couldn’t be at my side. Azazel doesn’t quite have your spark; he never had.”

“Are you willing to listen, then?”

Asmodeus nodded, gesturing for Magnus to sit.

He went to the desk and sat down in his father’s chair. It was a bold move, but he knew how to walk the line of decorum with him. His father responded with a hearty laugh and sat down.

“There’s a man here in Brooklyn from a west coast cartel. His name is Castle, and he’s trouble. The last thing I heard about him was that he was killed for betrayal. But I’ve seen him, and that’s bad news for everyone.”

Asmodeus swirled his drink thoughtfully, looking at Magnus intently. “What do you need me for?”

“I wondered if you’d heard anything about his business here. I think it’s a safe bet that he will come to you eventually. An alliance with you will guarantee his success. But he can’t offer you anything that’s worth what he’ll bring into your world.”

“How can you be so sure of what he’s here for, what he wants?”

“I knew him. And I know the cartel he’s working for. I know what they’re about. If he’s beholden to them, he’ll do what they ask.”

Asmodeus considered Magnus’ response. “I’ve heard rumors about a man named Castle who says he represents a cartel that’s willing to come under the authority of a new empire and serve under their title. He hasn’t approached me yet, but I’ve been prepared for contact.”

Magnus leaned forward in his seat. “Father, as a man you once trusted to be your right hand, I’m asking you not to accept.”

“What are you going to do, Magnus?” The tone of his voice conveyed the assertion of a challenge. Magnus was no longer going to shrink away from it.

“What I have to. The cartel is dangerous, and I won’t let it take over this city. It would be in your best interest to keep that from happening as well, because we both know that their endgame involves them on top.”

“Your belief that the betterment of the world is what’s best in all situations has always been your Achilles heel, my boy. When I offered you a place in my business, I wasn’t asking you to hurt other people. I was asking you to take the chance in front of you for the best life. There will always be people and things that others will take advantage of and reap the benefits from. Why not embrace the opportunity to be the one who profits?”

“Because it’s wrong.” Magnus stood up, putting his empty glass down on the table. “I’ll give you time to think about my request and to decide if you can provide me with any information.” He started towards the door when Asmodeus held out a hand to stop him.

“I’ll be in contact within 48 hours.” He paused for a beat. “Your brothers are here.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t have time. I’ve got somewhere I have to be.” He held out his hand to his father.

To Magnus’ utter surprise, his father took it and briefly pulled him in for a hug. “It’s been quite a while, son.”

Magnus gave him a halfhearted smile.

*          *          *          *

Waiting in the car, just watching Castle occasionally walk past the window of his apartment, was not Alec’s idea of fun. And he had told Magnus as much.

The issue had been quickly dropped, however, when Magnus resorted to running his fingers lightly up and down the back of Alec’s neck, tracing designs on his skin, and skimming his teeth down Alec’s throat. But now, without the balm of Magnus’ presence, Alec was back to being bitter and annoyed.

This was stupid. He was very familiar with reconnaissance and how important it was, but at this point, it seemed pretty useless.

Finding out where he was staying was easier than Alec had anticipated. Magnus called in a few favors and two days later got a text from a burner phone with an address in the middle of the city.

At one point, Alec saw Castle tuck a gun into the back of his pants and leave the apartment. Maybe it was nothing but he was bored and needed something to do, so he slipped out of the car and into the back alleyway.

When Castle rounded the corner, Alec was close behind. He followed him for four blocks before he took a dead end back street. Alec followed after a moment’s hesitation.

“What’s the deal, kid?” Castle’s voice sounded different than Alec had expected. It was…flat and bland.

“Deal?” Alec echoed, moving in as Castle backed up closer to the fence.

“You’re good, but I’m better. I know when I’m being shadowed.” Castle pulled out two knives, one in each hand, twirling them absently between his fingers. It wasn’t an aggressive move, Alec felt, but rather a show of power. An indication then when it came down to fight or flight, he would choose to fight.

“You must’ve been in the business a while. How long?”

“Long enough. People like us don’t talk about that, do we? It’s like asking a woman her age. She’ll either divert attention or tell a lie.” Castle looked down at the knives in his hands, then held them both up at Alec. “I’m going to put these away. I think we can be civil, don’t you?”

Alec’s hand drifted over his gun for a moment, then slid down to his side. He nodded reservedly.

“Atta boy.” Castle tucked his knives away as promised, but kept the distance between Alec and himself perfectly clear. “So, what, are you looking for a job?”

“No.” Alec pondered his response for a moment. “No, I was told by an old…acquaintance of yours that you were here in the city. I wanted to see for myself.”

“‘Old acquaintance?’ That sounds boring. I do have friends, you know.”

“No you don’t.”

Castle smirked at Alec, shaking his head slightly. “I like you. You’re a piece of work.” He paused. “Let’s see…what _acquaintances_ do I have here in Brooklyn who would have the manpower to keep tabs on me?” He tapped his chin mockingly, but then his expression changed minutely. If Alec wasn’t so thorough in observing people, he would have missed the way Castle’s expression tightened. His lips were pursed into a sharper line and his eyes were cold, like ice. “Bane,” he breathed. “Magnus Bane.”

Alec gave away nothing, simply crossing his arms over his chest.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Castle goaded. “How do you know Magnus? Is he your partner?”

“I work alone.” Alec dodged the question he knew the man was really getting at.

“Ah I see. Then if Magnus isn’t your partner…perhaps he’s something more personal?” His eyes searched Alec’s face for any crack in his armor, and Alec clung tight to his resolve.

Castle smiled suggestively, his eyebrows high up on his forehead. “Oh dear, you aren’t _in love_ with Magnus are you? Seeing as we can’t have _friends_.”

Alec gave no response, feeling mocked.

“What did Magnus tell you about me?”

“That you’re a traitor. That last he had heard of you before you disappeared was that your cartel made an example of you for double crossing. But then you show up here, and that has to mean that you’re their puppet now.” Alec channeled his resentment into his accusation, feeling mercilessly derided and unwilling to yield the advantage.

“Have you ever heard of Rasputin?”

Alec rolled his eyes. “Please.” 

Castle gave him a grin that felt like ice slipping down Alec’s spine. “Magnus Bane’s lover, here to see little old me. You must be special. Tell me, what does the son of a crime lord like about you, mercenary?”

“My tattoos,” Alec said sarcastically.

“There’s something about you…” His eyes scanned over Alec and then suddenly stopped on the ring finger of his right hand. “I’ve seen that before.”

_No. No, no, no._

Alec flexed his jaw, his right hand twitching instinctively. He’d made an enormous mistake, and he was quickly feeling crushed with the weight of his error. He was always careful to keep his ring that bore the Lightwood family crest off when he was working. Keeping his parentage a secret was imperative. But today, he had forgotten. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

_Live, breathe, die._

Jace and Isabelle had insisted he keep the ring when he left them. They wanted to feel close to him, somehow, and he couldn’t fault them for that. He missed them like hell, every day. Alec made them a promise that he would always wear it, and he didn’t feel as if he were breaking the promise when he removed it on a job because it was for their protection even more than his own. Working outside the law meant any connections were a liability, a noose you made and hung yourself with if they were ever found out.

_Pass like shadows in the night._

Even _considering_ that this one lapse in judgement could end with Jace, Isabelle, and Max on the wrong end of a gun made bile rise in Alec’s throat. He felt hot all over, and yet goosebumps rose all across his arms. Everything was wrong. He felt trapped, walls closing in. He wanted to run but he couldn’t, not from what he was most afraid of.

“Robert and Maryse,” Castle whispered. “They each wear that exact ring.” Looking up from Alec’s hand to meet his gaze, he seemed astonished. “You’re a Lightwood.”

Without thinking, Alec pulled out his gun, trained at Castle’s sternum. Castle lifted his hands in a nonthreatening gesture. “You better be careful, kid. Looks like I’ve currently got the upper hand.” He backed up two more steps, his back pressed to the metal gate. “You’re thinking of your brothers aren’t you? I bet they worship the ground you walk on, thinking their big brother is a superhero. And your beautiful sister…I bet she cries for you all the time. I wonder what they’d think if they knew you handed them over like this. Really, I would have expected more.”

He was getting in Alec’s head, which felt cluttered and hazy. “Shut up.” He cocked his gun.

“You’re not going to shoot me. You should, but you won’t.” Castle scrambled up the fence and sat on the top of it, one leg thrown over either side. “It was good to meet you, Lightwood. I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again soon. I’ll be sure to have your siblings send my regards.” He waved and then jumped down off the gate, taking off running.

Alec was rooted in place, slowly being devoured by shame and fear. His skin felt like a cage, and he wanted to scratch it all off to feel less suffocated. His gun slipped from between his fingers and he gripped the back of his neck with both hands.

*          *          *          *

As soon as Magnus returned home, he was immediately assaulted by the smell of cleaning chemicals. Alec was on his hands and knees in the living room, scrubbing the floor furiously. He knew what that meant—something had gone horribly wrong.

“Alexander, I’m home.” Magnus toed off his boots and hung up his jacket, careful not to disrupt what Alec had already cleaned.

Alec was a fixer—when he was guilty or angry or frustrated, he needed something tangible to fix. And that usually meant cleaning the apartment obsessively. He needed to feel like he could make something right or else he spun out, having a panic attack or working himself to death at the gym. This coping mechanism was the one Magnus was most comfortable with, for Alec’s sake.

“Hi, Alec,” Magnus said softly, making his way carefully around Alec to curl up on the couch. At times like these, Magnus had to just let Alec come to him. He had to ask the right questions that would get Alec talking. He was always honest with Magnus; he just didn’t volunteer information that wasn’t directly asked. “Are you hurt?”

Alec stopped his furious scrubbing, but didn’t look up. “No.”

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Not for long.” Alec’s tone was harsh, but Magnus knew that was defensive, protective. “Magnus, I—I’ve put my entire family in danger today from one stupid fucking mistake.” Alec dropped the scrub brush and started scratching at his hands instinctively. They were already red and raw.

“Tell me what happened.”

“I was so fucking _stupid_ , Magnus! How could I have done this? To them, of all people. I’d die before I gave them up—”

“May I sit next to you?” Alec made no move to stop him so Magnus slowly lowered himself to his knees next to him. “Darling, who are you talking about? What happened?”

“Castle. He found out I’m a Lightwood, he saw the stupid ring I forgot to take off.  He knows about Jace and Izzy and Max. He’s going to kill them, Magnus. He knew their names and…” Alec choked on whatever word was about to follow and started scratching harder at his hand.

“Alexander? Baby, I need you to breathe.” Magnus lifted one of Alec’s hands and set it against his heart. The gentle, consistent thrumming of Magnus’ beating heart started to make clear the fuzziness in Alec’s head almost immediately.

“Live, breathe, die. Pass like shadows in the night,” Alec whispered, closing his eyes.

“There you go. Again,” Magnus prompted in a whisper.

“Live, breathe, die. P-pass like…” Alec paused, squeezing his eyes shut tighter. “Pass like shadows in the night.”

Magnus kept Alec close, with his hand over his heart, and tipped their foreheads together as Alec continued to repeat himself.

It was a phrase Alec had come up with as a child when he would have panic attacks. It worked to remind him that all things pass. Everything in this world is in a state of impermanence. And even though that threatened the things he loved, it still provided him with immense comfort in times like these.

Once Magnus had him sufficiently calmed down, he spoke again, softly. “I’m so sorry, Alexander. I asked you to be there even though you didn’t want to be.”

Alec’s only response was to hold Magnus closer, blunt fingernails undoubtedly leaving behind little crescent indentations in his skin.

“I know this is scary. I know. I’ve got you. And I think, in truth, you and your siblings are safer than you realize. Your identity as a Lightwood only serves as an advantage to Castle when it’s his secret. When it stops being a secret, he loses all the leverage he thinks he has. As for hurting your siblings, again, he would be putting himself in much more danger than he’s willing to gamble with right now without an empire to protect him and his cartel.”

“How could he have recognized that ring?” Alec whispered.

“Thorough research. When you’re new to an area, it’s procedure to do homework on all your potential adversaries: cops and lawyers, primarily. They want to know which cops are dirty and can be bought, and they want to know which lawyers have even less of a conscience and sense of morals than they do heart. When they identify these people, then they look for their weaknesses to be sure they can win them by pressure if need be. They target the people who will be their advantages first, so that they have someone to clean up the mess if they run into trouble finding who their obstacles will be.”

“I have to stop him, Magnus. I _have_ to. I—I had my gun on him but I just…I couldn’t shoot him. I felt like I was suffocating and I froze.”

“We will. I promise. We’re going to stop him for good. And we will keep your brothers and sister safe.”

“We have to,” Alec kept insisting, fingers clenched in the fabric of Magnus’ shirt.

Magnus cradled the back of Alec’s head gently, lightly massaging his scalp with his fingertips. “I promise.”

“Whatever it takes, I’ll do it.” Alec leaned up so he could look Magnus in the eyes. “I don’t care what I have to do. We’re ending this.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are heating up, and we see another very interesting asmodeus interaction in this chapter as well as some battle couple!

_“Hey, Magnus.”_

_Magnus turned around and immediately greeted Alec with a smile. “Hi, good to see you. I’ve got us reservations, so are you ready to head in?”_

_“Sure. After you.” Alec pulled the door open for Magnus, then followed close behind._

_As soon as they were seated with menus and drinks in front of them, Magnus rested his chin in his hands. “May I tell you something?”_

_Alec set his menu down. “Of course.”_

_“I’ve really enjoyed being your…friend these last few months.” Magnus couldn’t think of a term that encapsulated what they were; “friend” paled in comparison to the feeling he had in regards to Alec. “But I’m very glad that you’ve asked me on this date tonight. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have waited much longer before_ I _asked_ you _.”_

_“It seemed like it was…time.”_

_Magnus nodded thoughtfully._

_“So what do we call this?” Alec asked, running his thumb over the edge of his menu._

_“We don’t have to call it anything. It’s very new, and we can just leave it at that.”_

_Alec considered for a moment before responding. It was a very nonthreatening encapsulation. It wasn’t a loaded label, nor did it make him feel pressured or caged in. “Yeah.” He lifted his glass of champagne and held it out to Magnus._

_Magnus lifted his own, touching it to Alec’s with a soft_ clink _._

_Neither of them had any idea how a first date was meant to go. They weren’t normal people who went on normal first dates where you talked about your family and your job and your goals in life. Granted, they knew quite a fair amount about each other already from their months of grabbing coffee once a week. More than most people tend to know about their date in these situations. It seemed best to just treat this like any other meeting._

_Magnus, putting that plan into action, reached into his coat and pulled out a worn paperback book. He set it down on the table and slid it towards Alec. “I found this the other day when I was reorganizing my library. It seemed like something you might be interested in.”_

_Alec ran his index finger lightly down the cover, feeling the soft creases that had developed. “My sister loves this book,” Alec answered with a smile. “I never read it myself, even though she’s still on my case about it.”_

_“_ Catcher in the Rye _is a classic, Alexander. I’m surprised at you, with your penchant for books.” Magnus’ smile was playful and affectionate, so Alec felt nothing but warmth in his chest at the jibe._

_“I have no excuse,” he said with faux sincerity._

_Magnus was just about to respond when his expression slowly changed into one of amused curiosity. He was looking at something behind Alec’s left shoulder._

_There was something entertaining about the expression for Alec. He took a sip of his champagne and murmured softly, “What is it?”_

_Magnus looked down at his menu, appearing to be scanning it carefully. “Three guys at your eight o’clock. They’ve been watching us. At least one of them has a gun.”_

_“Why are you smiling about that?” Alec asked, eyebrows raised._

_Magnus ignored his question completely, instead answering with one of his own. “Do you have anything with you?”_

_“My knives.”_

_Magnus rolled his eyes dramatically. “Really? I’m starting to worry about you, Alec.”_

_“Hey, I—”_

_“Reach under the table and slowly move your hand under the corner of my jacket to reach my thigh.”_

_Alec leaned back slightly. “Are you seriously trying to flirt with me right now?”_

_“Alexander, if I wanted you to feel me up, I would ask you outright. Don’t be ridiculous.” He reached down to unclasp the holster so Alec would have easy access to it. “Reach for my thigh holster.”_

_Alec took a deep breath and slowly moved his fingers across Magnus’ knee, feeling his way up. This felt alarmingly intimate for him, but Magnus didn’t seem to mind. Mutual trust had been developed between the two of them pretty early on, and it seemed Magnus applied it to all aspects of their relationship. When his fingers hit raised leather, Alec’s movements became more specific, feeling out the shape of the holster. As soon as he had freed the gun, his hand slowly made its way back, and he tucked the gun inside the waistband of his pants._

_“So, what’s the plan?”_

_Magnus pursed his lips slightly. “We’re going to need to clear everyone out. That’s the first priority.”_

_Alec nodded. “What do you suggest?”_

_“Well—”_

_The abrasive_ crack _of a gun being fired ended that conversation immediately. Alec whirled around to see one of the men with his gun aimed up at the ceiling, little flecks of rubble raining down around him._

_Simultaneously, the small restaurant buzzed with a crescendo of uproar, everyone running for the doors._

_The three men didn’t seem concerned in the slightest that all the people around them were leaving. Their goal, as Magnus had speculated, was simply to confront him and Alec._

_Magnus pulled a second gun from inside his jacket and pointed it at the first man. Alec moved up to get a good angle on the other two._

_“Bane and Wayland. There have been rumors about the two of you being chummy. Thought they were just rumors, to be honest.” He addressed Magnus directly, then: “Someone who has the reputation that you do, and you choose to run with a nobody? A dime a dozen assassin with no authority or valuable alliances?”_

_Alec cocked Magnus’s pearl-handled pistol, quickly getting a feel for it so that he’d be ready to fire if he needed to. As he turned his focus back to the other two men, he saw one reaching for something in his jacket pocket. By pure instinct, Alec flipped the table he and Magnus had been sitting at and pulled Magnus down with him behind it._

_The first round of shots was fired, aimed at them. They ricocheted loudly, causing both men to duck._

_“You sure know how to show your date a good time!” Alec yelled over the noise._

_“It’s all part of my charm,” Magnus answered, winking at Alec then leaning around the edge of the table to shoot a few rounds of his own._

_Alec looked up at the ceiling around them, hoping for something he could drop on them to buy enough time to get the upper hand. A large chandelier mounted on the ceiling a foot away from them seemed to be the best option. They just had to draw the men in close enough. Grabbing Magnus’ arm to tug him back, Alec pointed wordlessly at the chandelier, then made a circling movement with his hand to indicate bringing them in close._

_Magnus nodded, discarded the half empty clip from his gun, then leaned around the table, pretending to be unaware that he was out of bullets when his gun clicked with no release. When Alec didn’t move to assist, giving the impression that he was also out of ammunition, the three men stood from behind their barricade and began to slowly close in._

_“I’m disappointed, Bane. I really am,” one of the other men said tauntingly. “I almost don’t want to take you and Wayland down because it doesn’t seem fair. Almost_. _”_

_Magnus’ held up two fingers low enough to the ground that only Alec could see, signifying for him to wait to shoot._

_“Your father will be ashamed to hear that his son dishonored him like this, dying like an amateur.” All three men were within crushing distance of the chandelier, so Magnus gave Alec the thumbs up._

_Alec quickly fired three consecutive rounds at the chandelier then ducked, covering his head with his hands. Magnus followed suit as an earsplitting sound of glass shattering reverberated through the restaurant. They stood up slowly, surveying the damage._

_All three men were pinned, covered in varying amounts of glass pieces and broken bits of the metal framework. One of the three was already dead, impaled by the longest piece of metal. The other two were knocked unconscious._

_“Leave them. Send a message. Killing unarmed, unconscious men is a coward’s way out. If you show them mercy, it’ll scare them. Make them overthink,” Alec murmured, tucking the gun back into his pants._

_Magnus, chest heaving from the adrenaline, nodded, wiping at a trail of blood making its way down the corner of his left eye from a rogue piece of glass. “The cops will be here any minute. Let’s go.” With a satisfied grin, he vaulted over the counter of the bar, grabbed a bottle of tequila, then followed Alec out, shedding his ripped jacket._

_“It’s true what they say, you know,” Alec said out of the blue as they jogged down alleyways to get to a safe spot from which to hail a cab._

_“What’s that, Alexander?”_

_“Adrenaline is an aphrodisiac.”_

_Magnus stopped in his tracks and grabbed Alec by the lapels of his button up shirt, pulling him in for a kiss._

_Alec was only surprised for a split second, given that his statement was_ meant _to bait Magnus, so he enthusiastically responded in kind._

_When they parted with a delicious, slick noise, Magnus looked up at Alec with wide eyes, pupils almost completely dilated, only a small ring of iris visible. “You never cease to amaze me.”_

* * *

 

“I got a call from my father today.”

Alec leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “What did he say?”

“Just that he’s made a decision about whether he’ll assist with Castle, and he wants to meet to talk about it.” He leaned with one hip against the stove, lifting the corner of a pancake to check if it was ready to be flipped.

“You flying solo again?”

Magnus looked down, licking his lips. “No. I’d like it if you came with me.”

Alec didn’t hide his surprise very well, and it coaxed a smile out of Magnus. “Are you sure? What happened to that being just a little too much for your father to take?”

“If he’s going to agree to assist with Castle, that decision involves you working with him. It’s only fair that before you approve anything, you know what you’d be getting into.”

“And if he says he won’t help us?”

Magnus waved his hand dismissively, turning off the burner and sliding pancakes onto plates for both of them, then slicing up fresh fruit he spooned over the top.

Alec grabbed Magnus’ hand as he slid a plate in front of him, flipping his palm right side up to kiss it softly. “I’m in.”

“Good. Now, eat.”

After breakfast, a car from Asmodeus arrived to bring them over.

Alec was quiet the entire way there, and Magnus couldn’t blame him. This was all new territory for him. Magnus had grown up into this; was used to how it felt to see people used as leverage, familiar with every interaction being part of a strategy, and never being able to take anything at face value. Magnus had played that game for years. But Alec? Of all the jobs outside the law, his was the most honest. He delivered what he promised, and did his job well. It wasn’t about politics.

Magnus silently reached over and touched the back of Alec’s hand with a soft touch; just a reminder that he was with him. Alec flipped his hand over and grabbed at Magnus’ fingers with his own.  “We’ll be met by a few of my father’s bodyguards when we get through the gate. Don’t worry, they won’t touch you. They’re just precautionary. My father always sends them to receive guests.”

Alec swallowed and nodded, tugging at his seatbelt that was sliding further up his neck.

Magnus pressed his thumb to the buckle, causing it to slowly creep back up Alec’s shoulder. “We’re practically there.”

When the car pulled up to the gate, the driver buzzed the intercom and then was immediately granted entrance. He pulled up to within a few feet of the main doors, then parked.

Alec and Magnus got out, only to be immediately flanked by two bodyguards each. They hovered closer to Alec than Magnus, but still kept more distance than they would with anyone else. Magnus buttoned his jacket and confidently strode towards the open doors, Alec following beside him.

The sheer size of the house caught Alec by surprise as soon as they crossed the threshold. He’d never been inside a place like this that someone actually called home. He tried to picture Magnus here. As a young boy, he probably wandered the mansion aimlessly with a book in one hand and a snack in the other. When he got older, he probably laid out in the garden, his golden skin on full display, clad only in those leather pants he probably just discovered at that age, twirling a knife between his fingers and dreaming of something bigger and better.

Magnus grabbed Alec’s wrist lightly, tugging him a bit closer. “What do you think?” he whispered in his ear, breath tickling Alec’s skin.

“It’s a beautiful place, but it hardly seems like a home.”

Magnus smiled wryly. “Indeed. It never really did for me either.” He chuckled softly and was about to tell what Alec assumed would be one of Magnus’ indulgent anecdotes when suddenly he closed his mouth and grew rigid, standing straighter.

Alec looked at where his gaze was directed and started to nervously tap his fingers on the side of his leg. Asmodeus was standing in the doorway of one of the many rooms just off the foyer. “Magnus, Alec. Please come in.” He waved them over somewhat impatiently, standing aside.

Magnus did as he instructed, and Alec fell in behind him, at his left shoulder. He reached his hand back, resting just over the back pocket of his pants, fingers fanned out for Alec to slide his between. Alec was more than happy to oblige, needing something to ground himself.

As soon as they entered the study, Asmodeus was quick to shut the door behind them. When he faced them, he was rubbing his hands together, like Magnus did when he was thinking. “Thank you for agreeing to meet so soon. I’m sure you’re busy men.”

Alec was silent, needing Magnus to take the reins. Magnus, however, simply nodded and held his hand out to his father in greeting.

Asmodeus shook his hand, holding onto it for a beat longer than was necessary, then reached for Alec’s. “Alec Wayland. A pleasure.”

“For me as well,” Alec responded, arms folded behind his back.

“Have a seat, gentlemen. Drinks?”

“Scotch neat. Alec?”

“I’ll have the same.”

Asmodeus gestured to the two chairs across his desk and went to pour drinks. “I would like to preface this situation by saying, for Alec’s sake, that I am fully aware that what you’re asking me to help you do will equate to sabotaging myself by denying my business a profitable opportunity.”

Alec’s eyebrows shot up and he glanced over at Magnus anxiously. Magnus gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head to soothe him.

“I’m not an unreasonable man,” Asmodeus continued, bringing them their drinks, “but I am not willing to make a move that is clearly going to set me back and negate what I’ve created.”

Magnus snorted. “Yes, by stepping on plenty of people on the way, and putting guns and drugs and god knows what else in this city.” He leaned forward in his seat. “You and I have made our relationship work with our mutual respect for each other. We’ve acknowledged our difference of opinion and stayed out of each other’s way. For the most part.” Magnus’ lips twitched slightly. To Alec’s surprise, Asmodeus gave him a smirk.

He could see now the features that Magnus and his father shared. Magnus’ face was much softer than his father’s, who was angular and sharp, but when they smiled, their eyes looked exactly alike: russet brown and soft like melted chocolate. Their smiles were similar, though Magnus’ lips were fuller and less sharp at the corners. It wasn’t a stretch to believe that Asmodeus had looked very much like Magnus when he was his age.

“This is crossing a new line, Magnus.”

Magnus crossed his arms. “I’m not asking you to dissolve your empire because I know that you won’t. I’m not asking you to stop doing anything that you’re currently doing, even though I could. All of this shit would find its way into the city whether you were helping it along for not. I’m simply asking you to avoid Castle, who will provide no advantage to you. We both win.”

“That’s always been one of your greatest tricks, Magnus. You think you’re so different from me, and yet you’ve always had a talent for making people believe they’re your allies instead of what they really are.” Asmodeus turned his attention to Alec. “And what about you, Mr. Wayland? Are you going to be my _ally_ too?” There was a touch of sarcasm in his voice that made Alec flex his fingers apprehensively.

“Sir, I have no intention of taking any of your empire away from you. Magnus and I agree that what matters most is removing Castle and the cartel from the playing field. I respect your position; you and Magnus. I’m an assassin, and as such, I’m aware of my lack of footing in this situation. I’m not going to pretend to understand the politics involved in what you two do.”

Asmodeus regarded Alec intently, his glass of whisky resting against his cheekbone, cradled in his thin fingers. “Interesting. You’ve got curious taste in business partners, Magnus. An assassin, with no idea what it takes to be like us, what it is that we do. Have you been honest with him about your dear old dad and the family you come from?”

Magnus leveled his father with an unrelenting stare. He was unafraid of Asmodeus, and Alec would doubt anyone else who knew his name could say the same. Undoubtedly, that was why he felt such a devotion to a son who rejected his guidance. “That’s not what this is about. We have no interest in joining forces with you and your people in any respect other than to be sure that this poisonous weed doesn’t get to put down roots. Any organization willing to tolerate a snake like Castle is not one that can be trusted. If it makes you feel better, you can agree simply for the motive of being self-serving.”

Asmodeus laughed at that, setting his glass on the desk. He looked truly elated at Magnus’ argument, which made Alec uneasy, to tell the truth. It seemed like a reaction that couldn’t be trusted. But he had faith in Magnus, and that was enough. No one knew Asmodeus better than him. “I always knew you would make me proud, Magnus.”

Magnus’ lip twitched slightly at that, tilting his head nearly imperceptibly to the side. It was a pushback. He hummed noncommittally then held up his hands, palms up. “So. What’s your answer?”

Asmodeus nodded slowly, lips pursed. “No.”

Alec dug his nails into the glass he was holding, his fingertips going white at the pressure. He had no clue how to answer, so he left it up to Magnus.

Magnus revealed nothing in his expression. His only response was to set his glass on the desk and stand up. “Thank you for your time.” Alec stood as well, hands behind his back. “Alexander.” Magnus rested his hand on the small of Alec’s back for a moment, guiding him forward.

“Magnus, I’d like a private word before you leave. Just for a moment.”

Looking at Alec, Magnus gave a slight jerk of his chin. Alec nodded and waited outside the study doors.

Once Alec was out of earshot, Magnus faced his father, but made no effort to move any closer to him.

“Alec’s last name isn’t Wayland.”

Eyes narrowed slightly, Magnus just looked back at him.

“He’s a Lightwood,” Asmodeus said softly.

“Did you spy on him?” Magnus asked coldly. “I wouldn’t put it past you. You’ve done it before with people I’ve brought into my life.”

“I was right about Camille, wasn’t I? Completely unsuitable, even with all her father’s money.”

“I never asked for or needed your interference. Who was it? Azazel, I bet.”

“Castle.”

Magnus was taken aback, shifting his weight onto his back foot to create more distance between the two of them. “You’re making a mistake, father. You believe in honor, even if yours diverges from the traditional definition, and I promise you that there is none in the people you’re tangling with.”

“That’s quite beside the point, Magnus. What are you thinking, aligning with a Lightwood? He comes from the people that destroy us. People who would be just as content to ruin you as they would me. You think he cares for you? That he sees you as anything more than the prince of the underworld who will always bear his family legacy?”

“I’ve amply proven that I can take care of myself. I don’t need your thoughts on the matter.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets with movements lacking his usual finesse. “This information was an offering from Castle, I’m sure.”

“He hasn’t told anyone else, if that’s what you’re getting at. And I have no intention of sharing the information, as that would be very counterproductive.”

“Does the Lightwood name threaten you?” Magnus goaded.

“You’re walking a fine line, son. I hope you’ll take my judgements into consideration as a business associate, if not your father.”

“I’ve been doing just fine without it, thank you.” Magnus strode to the doors, hand on the knob, when his father spoke again.

“Please don’t do this, Magnus. This city’s underworld hasn’t had new blood in a long time. Now that the west coast cartel is looking to settle in, people are intrigued. If you threaten it, you’ll have more on your hands than just me and my people. I can’t stop them, and you know that.”

Magnus didn’t give him the satisfaction of an answer, turning on his heel and stalking off. He grabbed Alec’s wrist and tugged lightly. “We’re leaving.” Bodyguards lined the foyer on either side and started to close in to flank them.

The anger inside him was burning hot behind his eyes, and spread out across his skin like an itch he needed to scratch. The pressure he felt boiling in his blood ended at his fingertips, feeling like sparks of electricity. He’d had enough. He raised two fingers at them, keeping his gaze on the front doors. The guards responded immediately, stopping in their tracks and watching them apprehensively.

The car they arrived in was waiting for them just beyond the entrance. When they were on their way back to Magnus’ loft, Alec spoke up. “Magnus, are you all right? What happened in there?” He didn’t want to crowd Magnus, but he longed to comfort him.

Magnus’ fingers trembled slightly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Castle told my father that you’re a Lightwood. He figured it was the best leverage he had to gain my father’s interest. He figured he would be killing two birds with one stone; handing you over to my father and dissolving bits of my credibility, given our relationship. My father has assured me, though, that he has no intention of using the information.” He stroked his thumb over the curve of Alec’s chin, coaxing his gaze upwards. “Are _you_ all right Alexander?”

“Me? I’m fine.”

Magnus smiled softly, looking down at his hands as he toyed with his rings. “It appears that Brooklyn’s underworld has found a shiny new toy to play with. Everyone wants a turn with it before it gets broken.”

“Well.” Alec tenderly ran his forefinger along the shell of Magnus’ ear, careful not to disrupt the serpentine ear cuff he was wearing. “I’m sure we can figure something out.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this chapter we get another character introduced, some very soft boyfriends, and fancy attire! there's a bit more violence discussed in this chapter, so be prepared if that is something you wish to be cautious about!

_“Something smells absolutely wonderful!” Magnus exclaimed, emerging from the shower with just a pair of sweatpants on and his hair slicked back from the water. “What’s all this? I thought we were just going to get takeout?”_

_Alec slung a dish towel over his shoulder and turned to look at Magnus, leaning back against the counter. He had been about to respond but was temporarily delayed by the distraction of Magnus’ state of undress. Wide, appreciative eyes drifted down his body then snapped back up. “Um, I thought I would surprise you. It’s been awhile since I’ve cooked for you.”_

_“Our third date, to be precise.” Magnus smiled and gave Alec a soft kiss._

_Alec’s hands rested on the groove of Magnus’ hips and pulled their bodies flush against each other. Even through his shirt, Alec could feel the clearly defined planes of muscle. Magnus’ skin was still a bit damp and very warm, and he stuck a bit to Alec’s shirt. “I like you every way, but this is definitely one of my personal favorites.”_

_“Feel free to…browse.” Magnus dropped his hands to Alec’s and guided them down and back._

_“After,” he whispered softly in Magnus’ ear. With a parting kiss to Magnus’ temple, he returned to the kitchen to check on the stir fry he was making._

_“Is there something I can do to help? I feel bad inviting you over only for you to be cooking for me. It seems selfish.”_

_Alec waved him off, but pointed to the table. “You could pour drinks?”_

_Magnus was happy to accommodate, and brought in one for Alec while he sipped his own. “You shouldn’t have to wait until dinner for the alcohol.” He hauled himself up onto the kitchen island, watching Alec work. “You’ve got a lovely profile, Alexander.”_

_Even from the distance between them, Alec’s soft blush was plain as day._

_“Your upper back is tremendous too. I—”_

_Alec stopped him with an insistent kiss, caging Magnus in with his hands planted on either side of his hips. Magnus responded in kind, wrapping his legs around Alec’s thighs to pull him in closer. They only separated when the timer on the stove buzzed, immediately reclaiming Alec’s attention._

_They ate their food out on the balcony, watching the sunset. The sharp reds and oranges turned to soft purples and pinks, casting them in a prism of glow. By the time the sky was becoming gray and spotted with stars, their plates and glasses were empty, and they were curled up together, legs tangled._

_“I’ve always been curious about the constellations,” Alec murmured dreamily, his voice low and warm. It reminded Magnus of the way honey drizzles; like when he sneaks some into Alec’s tea for a treat just to see that smile when Alec realizes what he did for him. “I wanted to learn them when I was younger, but I just never had the time.”_

_“It takes practice, just like anything.” Magnus settled his cheek against the base of Alec’s neck, in the little dip that accommodated him so perfectly. “But you’re very bright; I’m sure you’d catch on fast.”_

_One second Magnus was looking up at the sky and the next he was facing Alec, who had maneuvered them onto their sides. “Can I kiss you?”_

_He chuckled at that, tracing his thumb across Alec’s lips. “Of course you can.”_

_Alec joined their lips hastily, a sharp contrast to his seemingly innocuous request. Magnus was quick to adapt, and thrilled to give._

_The kisses started off heady, both men enthralled in heat, with hands grasping at exposed skin or fingers tangled in hair. Eventually, though, the edge wore off and the kissing became slow and languid, tasting and touching for the sake of it instead of as a means to a specific, escalated end._

_Alec slowly started to make a path down from Magnus’ face with his lips, starting at the top with his forehead, then his eyelids, then the tip of his nose. Magnus made a small noise of assent in his throat but remained otherwise quiet except for the soft sound of his breathing. As Alec started down towards the sharp line of Magnus’ jaw, he rubbed his face against the coarse hairs that framed Magnus’ mouth, relishing in the slight burn of friction against his skin._

_With the tip of his nose, he traced the line of Magnus’ neck down to the base where he pressed an openmouthed kiss. The faint white line of a scar that trailed parallel to Magnus’ collarbone was Alec’s next target. With a light touch, he dragged the tip of his tongue across it. He lifted off slightly to whisper something against Magnus’ skin, his voice soft and reverent._

_Pressing his thumbs into Alec’s jaw, Magnus guided his head up. “What was that, handsome?”_

_“I love you,” Alec repeated without abandon._

_“Alexander…” Magnus breathed, holding Alec’s face in both hands. “I love you, too.”_

_Turning his face to get access to Magnus’ palm, Alec gave it a worshipful, openmouthed kiss. Magnus shivered, all the air around him feeling electrically charged, sparking on his skin._

_“It’s funny, isn’t it?” Magnus murmured, running his fingers through Alec’s hair._

_Alec looked up at him, absently kissing at Magnus’ fingers. “What’s that?”_

_“You and I. How odd that our stars would align.”_

_Alec chuckled softly, sliding his hands under Magnus’ shirt, keeping them low, brushing at the waistband of his pants. “We could have been tragic,” he agreed. His hands ghosting over Magnus’ skin tickled in the most delicious way possible and left behind goosebumps in their wake._

_“Is this okay?” Alec whispered, keeping his touch light._

_“Yeah,” Magnus murmured, closing his eyes. He set one hand against Alec’s shoulder blade, scratching lightly._

_Alec slid down Magnus’ body slowly, allowing Magnus to stop him if he was uncomfortable. When his mouth was at Magnus’ navel, he slowly lifted the bottom of his shirt up to the middle of his chest. This was where the brunt of Magnus’ scars were. He rarely ever let Alec look closely at them. “Are you okay with this?”_

_Magnus nodded, and, without lifting his gaze, Alec slid one of his hands up his chest to seamlessly tangle their fingers tight enough that he could feel Magnus’ pulse beating against his._

_With his free hand, he rubbed his thumb against the ridges of Magnus’ ribs as his lips began to travel the scarred skin. There was the bullet hole at the side of his navel, with Alec pressed a kiss to, and then there was the knife slice that traced vertically down the right side of his ribcage that Alec traced with his nose._

_Magnus flinched slightly when Alec’s lips grazed a deep scar on his lower abdomen._

_“I’m sorry. Do you want to stop?” Alec immediately leaned up to put some distance back between them, but kept their fingers knotted together._

_“No. I’m just not used to being touched there. That was…long ago but it’s something I keep private.”_

_Alec started to pull Magnus’ shirt back down to cover it, but Magnus grabbed at his wrist to stop him. “I don’t want to stop.” He leaned in and brushed his lips against Alec’s._

_“I see you, Magnus Bane,” Alec whispered against him, “and nothing will change how I feel.” His index and middle finger slowly slid back down Magnus’ side, following the path of his ribcage._

_“I don’t want to hide from you. I’m just not used to being so open.”_

_“We’re both learning together.” Alec leaned back and tugged his shirt over his head, then shifted so his back was to Magnus. On full display were two large, deep gashes, one along the line of each shoulder blade. The lines of scarring were a few shades lighter than Alec’s already pale skin, illuminated by the soft light of the balcony lamps. “I was nineteen, still learning the trade, and I got caged in by my target when I was tailing him. He tried to get under my skin, calling me horrible things and goading me. The last thing he said to me I don’t think I’ll ever forget. ‘You think you’re some kind of angel, don’t you? Where are your wings, angel boy?’ And then he said I must be a fallen angel to not have any wings, and he wondered if I had the scars. In scripture, fallen angels get their wings ripped out when they’re cast down from heaven, so that they felt agony at their sin. So he…”_

_Carefully, Magnus reached for Alec, running his thumbs up from the base of the scars to the tips that curved to an end just below his shoulders. Alec was perfectly still under his hands. Magnus pressed his cheek to Alec’s back, and Alec let out a quiet sigh of relief._

_“I won’t let anyone else hurt you. You have my word.”_

* * *

 

“Alexander.”

Alec looked up from his book to see Magnus staggering through the door, holding his side. His black shirt looked wet where it clung to his skin, sticky with blood.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Magnus assured him just as he jumped to his feet. “Just a little bullet wound.”

Alec visibly relaxed but still was quick to make his way to Magnus and support most of his weight. “What happened?”

“A small tussle. Nothing major.” Magnus grunted as Alec lowered him down to the couch.

“Is the bullet still in there?”

Magnus nodded, his head lolling back.

Making his way over to the mini bar, Alec ran his fingers over the glass bottles of alcohol. “Jack, Jim, or Johnnie?”

“Johnnie.”

Alec returned with the whole bottle, pressing it into Magnus’ hand.

Magnus tightened his fingers around the neck of the bottle and took a big swig, his eyes squeezing shut for a moment and then opening wide. His eyelashes cast faint, spidery shadows on his cheekbones. “Hand me the kit.”

“No. I’ll do it.” Alec retrieved the first aid box from the hallway closet and sat down next to Magnus. He patted his thighs and Magnus smiled, stretching out on his back across Alec’s lap. “Do you want me to try to get your shirt off or can I just cut it?”

Magnus sighed dramatically. “This is one of my favorite shirts. But I guess it’s ruined now. Just cut it. I doubt I could get all the blood out.”

Once the shirt was cut off, Magnus shifted slightly to give Alec full access to the wound. He inspected it carefully, cleaning off the excess blood. He’d seen worse on both himself and Magnus before. This was hardly something to be concerned about. However, this bullet had nearly ripped through the scar from a previous one, and the reminder of how much Magnus had suffered rested heavy in Alec’s heart.  Before he started the process of removing the bullet, he leaned over Magnus’s exposed torso and pressed a kiss just above his navel.

Magnus smiled, letting out a pleased rumbling noise, and carded his fingers through Alec’s hair, scratching lightly at his scalp after every few strokes.

Alec turned his head to press a kiss to the inside of his forearm then straightened up.

Bracing for the pain, Magnus tossed his left arm over his eyes, biting lightly at the skin.

It took a few minutes to dig the bullet out, but Magnus held perfectly still, very used to the routine. He’d been doing it for so long now that it didn’t take long to acclimate, especially with alcohol. Once it was out, Alec started to carefully stitch the wound closed.

“Alexander, please. I can do that myself. You don’t need to—” He cut himself off with a hiss, his hand twitching towards his side.

“Shut up, Magnus.” The smile could be heard in his voice.

After wrapping him tight with gauze and medical tape, Alec took the bottle of whiskey from Magnus and took a few sips. “You gonna tell me what happened?”

“No.” Magnus’ eyes were closed, his left arm above his head and his right resting just above the gauze, fingers lightly stroking at Alec’s knuckles. There was a small smile playing at his lips.

“You hungry?”

“I’ll eat in a bit. Right now I’d probably just throw it right back up.”

They sat in silence, Magnus drifting in and out of consciousness from the shock and burned up energy. Alec was content to just sit in silence with Magnus laying on him, breathing slow and quiet. Feeling his heartbeat, skin against skin, was all he needed right now.

When Magnus was awake again, Alec couldn’t hold back any longer. “What happened, Magnus? The truth.”

Magnus sighed, staring up at the ceiling. “You worry too much, Alexander. I went to call on an old contact, and I forgot that he and I were on bad terms as of our last…contact.”

“Was there _any_ talking?”

“A bit. I got what I went for, which is really all that matters.” Magnus absently trailed his fingers up and down the exposed patch of skin on Alec’s side where his shirt had rucked up, causing goosebumps to rise on his skin. “Does that tickle?”

“No, it just, uh, feels good.”

Magnus smiled.

“I know you’re trying to distract me. It won’t work.”

“Alexander, I came home to lick my wounds and see my pretty boyfriend. Not talk shop. That can wait.”

“Well, when you came home with a bullet hole, that sort of negated your leverage. What did you go to see this person about?”

“I need to get in contact with an old acquaintance I haven’t seen in years. He used to work for Asmodeus a long time ago. I think he might be able to help us; he keeps tabs on everything happening in the Brooklyn underworld. Even if Castle hasn’t gone to him directly, he will have heard of others he has approached.”

“Are you telling me you got shot for an address?” The tone of Alec’s voice was laughably stunned, and it made Magnus laugh before he winced at the pressure it put on his fresh wound.

“Of course not! How irresponsible do you think I am? No, I got shot for an invitation to a gathering that will get us a chance to ask our questions.”

Alec sighed gustily but couldn’t keep himself from smiling.

Magnus noticed. “I see you,” he whispered, lifting a finger to trace the upward curve of Alec’s lips.

Alec nipped lightly at Magnus’ finger, and then teased it with the tip of his tongue. “So when’s the party?”

*          *          *          *

Friday night, Magnus and Alec took a car down to Ragnor Fell’s penthouse.

The street was lined with cars and their drivers, some huddled together against the cold autumn wind smoking cigarettes and conversing. They took the elevator up, Magnus’ pinky intertwined tightly with Alec’s and their hands hidden behind the flare of their open jackets.

Alec was dressed in a sheer, tight black shirt with a black jacket over top, black pants, and black boots. Magnus, by contrast, was wearing a white button up with only half the buttons done up, red suspenders, a black jacket, black pants with a red stripe up the side, and black boots with small silver studs.

The doors opened to a vast, open loft, lavishly decorated in muted shades of brown and red. Large bookshelves lined two of the walls in the main entrance room, and there was a mini bar set up in the corner with a bartender serving drinks. A large bay window took up the opposite end of the room, allowing the light of the streetlamps and soft glow of the moon to cast shadows on the carpet.

“Now what?” Alec murmured softly, barely loud enough for Magnus to hear.

“How about a little something from the bar? Ragnor is someone best appreciated with a little alcohol in your system.” He tugged Alec along behind him, slipping between groups of people chatting and drinking to get to the bar. “Hi, two champagnes, please.”

Alec rested his hand on the small of Magnus’ back, looking around the room at the guests. They were all rich, for sure, but they didn’t give off the same coldness that Asmodeus had. It made him wonder just what kind of illegal activities these people were engaging in that kept some semblance of warmth in their behavior.

“Here you are, Alexander.” The velvet tone of Magnus’ voice brought Alec’s attention back to the flute of champagne he was being offered. He took it and raised it in Magnus’ direction. “To us.”

Magnus touched their glasses together with a soft _clink_ before taking a sip.

“So, where are we going to find this guy?”

“He’ll find us, don’t you worry. Patience has never been one of his virtues. Or even one of his vices, for that matter.”

Alec smiled behind his glass, watching Magnus. It wasn’t fair how beautiful he always looked, no matter what he was doing. His Adam’s apple bobbed when he drank, and Alec found himself drawn to the movement, imagining tracing his tongue across it and biting at it delicately.

Suddenly, as if somehow Magnus had read his mind, he grabbed Alec by the lapels and pulled him in for a kiss. His lips were still wet with champagne, and the effervescence caused Alec’s lips to tingle. It was a relatively chaste kiss, which was common for their public displays of affection, but Alec couldn’t help but catch Magnus’ lower lip between his teeth for just a moment when Magnus began to pull away.

“What—” Magnus cut him off, index finger poised just in front of Alec’s lips.

Alec snorted softly, shaking his head. Leaning his hip against the counter, he tapped his glass against the outside of his thigh. Waiting for someone to catch up to them was boring. And this was the first time he’d ever been in this position, he realized. He was always the one who pursued.

“Impatient,” Magnus noted, signaling for the bartender to pour him another glass of champagne. “Maybe some harder liquor would help?”

“Are you trying to take advantage of me, Mr. Bane?” Alec looked faux scandalized, except the hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“I wouldn’t dare, Mr. Lightwood. A gentleman would be appalled at such an accusation.”

“Implying you’re not one?”

“Touché.”

The room was buzzing softly with conversations and soft music playing, facilitating casual flirting. It didn’t feel like a job, a move in strategy. For a second, they could pretend that they were anything more than what they really were. Wondering what they could have had in another life.

“Magnus Bane, as I live and breathe.”

Alec and Magnus turned towards the voice, belonging to a man in his late thirties, already getting gray along the sides of his hairline. Soft wrinkles were beginning to set into the soft spots of his skin, specifically around his eyes.

“Ragnor. Good to see you.” Magnus approached him, offering his hand.

Resting a hand against Magnus’ cheek, Ragnor welcomed him with a smile. “It’s been years, my friend.”

“It has, I apologize. This is Alec Wayland, my partner.”

Alec startled slightly at being addressed.

Ragnor looked him over appraisingly. “Wayland. I’ve heard about you.”

Alec made an evasive noise in the back of his throat, clasping his hands behind his back. Magnus had confidence in this man, but he was once again at the disadvantage, trusting a perfect stranger.

“So, what can I do you for, Magnus? I don’t recall owing you a debt.”

Magnus laughed at that, shifting closer to Alec. “We’re brothers in arms, or don’t you remember? I got you out from under Asmodeus’ thumb. That should always be good for a favor.”

Ragnor pursed his lips slightly, swirling his drink aimlessly. “What do you need?”

“Peter Castle,” Alec answered, chin tilted up slightly.

“What about him? He doesn’t work for me. Is that what you’re here for? To accuse me of working with that little—”

“No,” Magnus interrupted firmly. “You tend to have your hand in all the cookie jars, so to speak. I figured there was a good chance you had talked to him, or at the very least heard through the grapevine what his plans are for Brooklyn.”

“I have,” Ragnor admitted. He jerked his chin towards the kitchen, and Magnus and Alec followed him through the crowds of people. It was empty when they reached it, but they still kept their voices down as they resumed.

“I don’t know what his endgame is, so bear that in mind. I’m beginning to piece things together but it’s still only fragments of the full picture.” He paused for a moment. “He’s been abducting children to be drug runners, which tells me that founding the cartel in the city is their priority. Getting the system in place and their product in circulation is the foot in the door that they need.”

Alec’s eyebrows furrowed. “The girl who came to me, who was abducted then dumped by Castle… What if he was taking her to be one of his runners, but she was too old?”

Magnus lifted his chin slowly in agreement. “That would be a very reasonable conclusion. The younger the children that pedal the drugs, the safer the supplier and cartel will be. She would have been a liability.”

“Well, he’s also been checking out the docks where a lot of the shipments come in. Luke Garroway owns a lot of that territory, so talking to him couldn’t hurt,” Ragnor continued. “Ultimately, I believe the goal is merging with an established empire. And I believe that your father’s is the target.” He looked at Magnus with a measured expression. “They’ve accrued an impeccable reputation as lethal, well-funded, and impenetrable.”

“Asmodeus prides himself on that,” Magnus said wryly, twisting one of his rings around on his finger.

“That’s all I’ve got so far. But I’ll keep my ear to the ground for you.”

“We’ll be in touch,” Magnus agreed, shaking hands with Ragnor then sliding closer to Alec, his hand on his hip to pull him closer. “It’d be a shame to let all that alcohol go to waste with these lightweights,” Magnus murmured conversationally, gesturing at the guests. “I might stay for another drink.”

“Now I remember why I don’t drink with you anymore.”  

Magnus made a face at Ragnor, then tugged on the end of Alec’s jacket. “Come on, darling. Let’s get one more drink for the road.”

Alec nodded at Ragnor in thanks and allowed Magnus to tow him back out to the party.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is a bit more introspective in the scenes set in the present, and we get to see more of the lightwoods!
> 
> if you want to listen to the song mentioned in the flashback, you can find it here:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jm7k4MyqRU

_“Mm, Alexander,” Magnus purred, rolling his neck to offer better access to his exposed skin. Alec was currently making his way down his throat with wet kisses._

_He hummed softly in assent, the gentle vibration of his lips making Magnus moan softly. When he reached the slope of Magnus’ collarbone, he sucked on it lightly. “Feel good?”_

_Magnus laughed a bit breathlessly, his hand moving up Alec’s back to tangle his fingers in his hair. “Very good. I should be returning the favor, darling.”_

_Alec let out a soft breath through his nose that skated across the wet trails of saliva that littered Magnus’s neck and shoulder. “Believe me, I’m enjoying myself plenty.”_

_The mood quickly shifted, however, when Alec felt something brush his neck and he pulled off of Magnus with a lewd sucking noise. Magnus whined at the loss and opened his eyes to see Chairman Meow batting at Alec, trying to get his attention. “Chairman,” Magnus sighed exasperatedly. “You’re ruining some heavenly necking.”_

_The small cat just blinked at him with huge eyes._

_Magnus sighed in defeat and scooped the Chairman up, plopping him on the carpet. “Come back, Alexander.” He made grabby hands at Alec, yanking him in close by the neckline of his shirt to kiss him lazily, indulgently. When Alec shivered at the raw sensation, Magnus goaded him further, fluttering his eyelashes like butterfly kisses to tickle the sensitive skin under Alec’s eyes._

_“W-wait, shouldn’t we distract Chairman? I don’t think he’ll leave us alone until we’ve given him s-something else to do.”_

_Magnus looked at him, nose wrinkled in distaste. “I’m working very hard here to preserve the mood, Alexander. You’ve got low lighting, soft music,_ and _a pretty boy on top of you. Can you show a little respect and appreciation?”_

_“It wasn’t_ my _cat that interrupted us,” Alec pointed out._

_Magnus smacked him on the shoulder and begrudgingly got up to go to the kitchen to get the Chairman some food, buttoning his shirt back up as he went._

_He muttered to himself resentfully, shaking his head. “Here you go, traitor.” He set the bowl down at the Chairman’s designated eating spot next to the refrigerator. Not even a second later, the small cat came darting around the corner and rubbed against Magnus’ leg appreciatively, his body vibrating with the humming purr coming from his chest. “Yeah, yeah,” Magnus waved him off and went back into the living room._

_Alec was sitting up now, as opposed to being bent backwards over the arm of the couch, but he looked just as ruffled and messy as when Magnus left him. He tucked himself in against Alec’s side, and Alec let his arm drop over Magnus’ shoulders._

_“Happy now?” Magnus mumbled, tucking his face into Alec’s neck. He traced the soft, sensitive skin with his tongue. It was wet and warm and made Alec shiver._

_“I…I just wanted to be sure we wouldn’t be interrupted again,” was all he got out before he leaned his head back and squeezed his eyes shut. He was feeling too many things with too much intensity to be capable of sitting still._

_Magnus laughed against Alec’s neck, making sure his lips never stopped touching him. “So are you content to proceed?”_

_“Yeah,” Alec said breathlessly. “But…closer?”_

_Magnus pulled back slowly to look at him. “How do you want me, Alexander?”_

_“Can you just…here.” Alec looped his fingers through the belt loops of Magnus’ pants, thumbs hitched over the top of the fabric, and pulled him onto his lap._

_Magnus understood what he was asking for and accommodated with a pleased hum. Bracketing Alec’s hips with his knees, he slowly lowered himself to sit on Alec’s thighs. “Is this what you wanted?”_

_Alec nodded enthusiastically, running his wide palms up Magnus’ back underneath his shirt._

_Magnus leaned in close, fingers threaded through Alec’s hair, and grazed his teeth across Alec’s collarbone. As he made his way up the side of Alec’s neck, he started softly singing along with the music playing in the background. “‘Losing track and losing time, I forget to breathe.’”_

_Goosebumps rose across Alec’s skin at the consistent brushes of his lips. It felt better than it had any right to, and he jerked in Magnus’ hold reflexively in response to the relentless stimulation._

_“‘Should’ve seen the water rising; now I’m in too deep.’” By the end of the verse, Magnus had arrived at Alec ear, which he nipped at playfully._

_“Fuck, baby.”_

_With a low purr from the base of his throat, Magnus snapped his teeth together at Alec’s ear._

_Alec jerked slightly and held on tighter, fingers digging into Magnus’ skin. “You’re not playing fair.”_

_“Oh? What’s the problem, Alexander?”_

_“You’ve got way more leverage than me right now.” His sentence ended with a soft exhale through his nose in response to Magnus tugging lightly on the hairs at the back of his neck._

_“What would you prefer I do?” He was baiting Alec, and they both were aware of it. Alec had a weak spot for Magnus’ games, though. It couldn’t be helped._

_There was a self-satisfied smirk on Alec’s lips and he was just about to answer when Magnus’ phone started vibrating against the coffee table, making an abrasive noise that startled them both._

_Magnus tightened his grip on Alec’s thighs with his own and leaned back in a deep arch to reach for his phone. He knew exactly what he was doing, opting to be blatantly vain just to get a rise out of Alec, but he couldn’t help himself. The look of shock and want on Alec’s face was the prize he had been after. He swiped the phone and glanced at the screen. One missed call from Raphael Santiago. Magnus rolled his eyes and tossed it haphazardly across the couch, then pressed in close to Alec, their chests pressed against each other and their pulses mingling where their fingers were intertwined._

_“So, um, as we were?” Alec prompted, licking his lips expectantly._

_Magnus chuckled, shaking his head with an affectionate smile. “Where were we? Right about here, I think.” His free hand made its way up to Alec’s face, thumb swiping across his lips that were slick with saliva and slightly reddened and puffy from the pressure of their kisses._

_Opening his mouth a bit, Alec brought Magnus’ finger into his mouth. His tongue tentatively traced the ridges of his fingerprint._

_“You’re ethereal, Alexander,” Magnus praised breathlessly._

_Alec’s lips pulled up into a smile around the intrusion and he introduced gentle, wet suction. He was almost embarrassed to admit that the act was almost as pleasurable for him as it seemed to be for Magnus, who now had a hand in his own hair, mouth slightly open._

_The phone on the pillow began violently vibrating again, falling onto the floor._

_Both men groaned, and Magnus regretfully disentangled himself from Alec to snatch the phone and squeeze it so hard in his fist that his knuckles went white. One missed call from Raphael Santiago._

_“I’m sorry, my sweet, just a moment.” Magnus redialed Raphael, placating Alec by running his fingers up and down his bicep with a feather-light touch. “_ ¿Te llamandome para el regresa del Diablo? _If not, you’ll have to call back later. I’m entertaining at the moment.”_

_“_ Qué lástima. Tu corazón puede esperar _.”_

_Magnus chuckled, which Raphael didn’t take kindly to._

_“Magnus—!” Alec couldn’t make out the words that followed, but Raphael’s voice was raised as he spoke, and that couldn’t be good._

_“Okay. I’ll take care of it.” Magnus rolled his lip between his thumb and index finger for a moment, lost in thought._

_“What is it?” Alec’s voice was full of concern, and it never ceased to warm Magnus’ heart when he showed such simple but genuine affection._

_“I’ve got something I have to go take care of. I’m terribly sorry,_ querido _.”_

_Alec smiled halfheartedly, trying not to let his disappointment show. “I understand. Go save the day, Mr. Bane.”_

_After a soft kiss to Alec’s forehead, Magnus stood up, straightening his clothes. “We should have expected an interruption. A whole evening was too much to hope for.”_

_Alec looked down at his hands. “I guess so.”_

_Magnus suddenly whirled around to face Alec. “What if we did something about that?”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“Alexander, would you have any interest in moving in here, with me?”_

_Before he could come up with a real answer, the only reaction Alec could offer was his jaw dropping open slightly. “Magnus, are you sure?”_

_“I’d like to have someone to share my home and my life with.” His tone had become a bit more tentative. “And it would make me very happy if it were you.”_

_“Yes.”_

_“What?”_

_“The answer is yes.” He leaned forward, reaching for Magnus’ hand, and when he had it, he brought it to his lips to kiss his knuckles. And then, because he couldn’t resist, he added, “But I have some important thoughts on the state of your décor.”_

_Magnus rolled his eyes and gently rubbed the tip of his nose against Alec’s. “I can handle a little constructive criticism. I might even be open to a compromise.”_

* * *

 

Alec rolled over in bed with a groan, heels of his hands pressed into his eyes.

“Good morning, Alexander.”

Alec cracked open one eye with a sleepy smile, face still mushed against the pillow.

Magnus was leaning over him, backlit by the bright morning light that made the soft, thinner tips of his spiked hair glow like a halo. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Alec’s temple, lingering for a moment. “How are you feeling?”

“Hungover,” he croaked in response, lifting up on his forearm. “I always forget you can drink me under the table.”

Magnus laughed, running his fingers through the front of Alec’s hair to push it back neatly. “I’m sorry, my sweet. I assure you that getting you drunk was not my intention. Scout’s honor.” He held up three fingers with a solemn expression that Alec had to roll his eyes at.

“Ragnor mentioned Luke Garroway last night.”

Alec’s expression tensed slightly.  “Do you know him? I’ve just heard the name.”

“I know someone who does. I think we should go see him. We might be too late if Castle has already gotten to him, but from what I’ve been told, Garroway is not so easily bought.”

“What about Castle? Shouldn’t we be going after him?”

“We will. Soon. But damage control is crucial right now, Alexander. We have to invalidate his offers quick, or else we’ll have a much bigger problem than a rogue.”

Scrubbing his hands through his hair, Alec sighed softly. Magnus was right, as much as he disliked it. However, finding the target and taking them out was what he knew how to do. Everything else was completely unfamiliar, and it made him doubt his capability to help when he’d been stuck in foreign territory thus far.

Seeming to sense his discomfort, Magnus’ said softly, “Alec, what is it?”

“I feel like I’m just…fumbling around behind you in all this. Tracking down my mark and eradicating them is what I do. It’s all I’m good at. Strategy, coercion, and trading secrets… I don’t know the first thing about that. I just want to feel like I’m actually doing something right in this. It’s not just Brooklyn we’re protecting. I… Callie Roberts came to me, trusting me to give her peace of mind, Magnus. That’s on me.”

A heavy weight sunk to the pit of Magnus’ stomach at Alec’s words. He hated that he felt obsolete, particularly when there was no truth to it. He was simply out of his element and learning. “I don’t blame you for struggling. If the situation were reversed, it would be just as much of an adjustment for me to do what you do. I would be capable, just as you are, but we need time to learn and find our footing. I want to help you get there, and I hope you’ll realize that you have been invaluable to me. Your honed skills are immaculate, but more than that, you’re the only person I could trust with this. And I couldn’t do it alone.”

Alec picked at the corners of the bed sheets, then slowly slid his hand over to Magnus’, grasping at his fingers down to the last knuckle. “I want to learn. I want to be good at this.”

“You _are_ , Alexander. Undeniably.” Magnus lifted Alec’s hand to his lips, kissing his palm. “Let me talk to Luke, and then we’ll focus on Castle.”

“Okay.” Alec nodded, giving Magnus’ hand a soft squeeze before getting up to take a shower.

After he was dressed, he went to the kitchen to find that Magnus had laid out painkillers, water, and a plate of greasy bacon and potatoes. Alec grinned, swallowing the pills before digging into the food with a moan of satiation.

The soft gurgle of the coffeemaker was the only other sound in the loft that Alec could hear, and he reveled in the quiet.

Mornings like this felt so similar to the ones he used to share with his siblings when they were young. Robert and Maryse spent a large chunk of their weekends working in the home office, and that usually left Alec in charge of making breakfast. He had perfected the art of the pancake, and began learning how to use a coffee machine by the time he was eight. Eggs were the hard part for him, because each of his siblings wanted something different. Jace would only eat sunny-side up, Isabelle insisted on her eggs being scrambled, and Max hated eggs unless they were fried.

When Magnus swept into the kitchen through the open doors off the balcony, Alec’s attention was immediately redirected.

Grabbing two mugs from the cabinet, Magnus poured coffee into each. He had memorized Alec’s drink preferences after only a few weeks of dating, so he didn’t hesitate before splashing a bit of cream in then sliding it across the breakfast bar to rest on Alec’s knuckles.

“What were you just thinking about?” Magnus took a sip of his coffee, sans cream or sugar, and leaned against the countertop. “You had that look you get when you’re reminiscing.”

“Mornings like this remind me of when I used to make breakfast for my siblings on the weekends. I haven’t thought about that in…years.”

Sympathy was all Magnus could offer when it came to family. The complexity of his own left much to be desired, and any empathy he _could_ offer was just a shade of what Alec needed most. “Do you miss them terribly?”

“Yes, but it helps to know that I put the distance between us for a reason. It protects them. I’m still upholding my promise to keep them safe.” Setting his mug down, Alec stood up and shrugged on his jacket. “I’m going to go for a walk. Don’t wait up; if you want to go see Luke, do it.”

“Hey.” Magnus grabbed the pockets of Alec’s jacket, tugging him close. “Are you okay?” Using his finger to tilt Alec’s chin up, he leveled their gazes.

“I’m fine.”

Magnus looked at him dubiously.

“Honestly, baby, it’s just the hangover.” Magnus tasted like coffee, cigarette smoke, and strawberries when Alec kissed him, tongue flicking at the seam of his lips.  The coffee and strawberry tastes were subtle and soft on his tongue, but the smoke was sharp, biting at the inside of his mouth. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, though; something about it sent a pleasant tingle down Alec’s spine. “You’ve been smoking again,” he murmured against Magnus’ mouth as they separated.

It was a bad habit Magnus had tried to kick many times in his life. He’d started young, and got addicted fast. Ever since adulthood, he’d become adept at eluding the cravings, even under stress, but the recent pressure they’d been under had cracked his resolve; a hairline fracture on the bones of resolution. Giving Alec a wry smile, he rubbed his forefinger and thumb together. “I’m fine.”

“I know,” Alec responded immediately, no hint of doubt or judgement in his eyes. When Magnus cradled his cheek, he leant into the touch, breathing in the smell of nicotine on the inside of Magnus’ index and middle fingers. “I’ve gotta go, I’ll be back later.”

Wandering the streets of the city was something Alec didn’t make a habit of. Sometimes, though, it was the only way he knew to clear his head.

When the ground beneath his feet began to change into something familiar, he looked up at his surroundings. He had wandered his way back into his old neighborhood. His old house was just two blocks over.

Making an executive decision, he made his way over and snuck through the back fence.

There was a tree outside of Isabelle’s window and Alec scaled it easily. The curtains on her window were drawn, so he knocked softly, bracing his knees against the parallel branch. “Isabelle,” he called softly.

There was a gentle rustling as one side of the curtain was pulled away, and suddenly he found himself face to face with his sister. Her expression immediately changed from confusion to relief. She was quick to pull the window up all the way. “Alec!” Grabbing his hands, she tried to yank him through enthusiastically.

He laughed, gently freeing himself from her grip so that he could carefully fold himself to fit through the opening provided. Once he had slid through, he perched on the window seat for a moment, taking in his surroundings. “Hey Izzy, it’s good to see you.”

She threw herself at him, hugging him tight. He was immediately enveloped in the smell of her perfume. It was still familiar; still smelled like home. “Alec, god.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head then pulled back to look at her.

She gripped his left hand with both of hers, like she used to when she was little and they walked in the city together. “Let me go get Jace. Stay right there, I’ll be right back.”

When she returned with him, he looked shocked and disheveled, eyes wide at the sight of Alec. “Wow. What are you doing here?” He pulled Alec in for a firm hug, holding the back of his head softly. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” Alec murmured, shaking his head. “No, there’s nothing wrong. I just wanted to see you two. It’s been a long time.” He hated to lie to them like this. It was one thing to exclude bits and pieces of the truth when asked a question they already didn’t think he would answer honestly. But this, flat out lying, even for the sake of protecting them, was painful.

Izzy and Jace seemed to know, which only made it worse. Jace crossed his arms and looked at Alec with concern, trying to prod him forward. Isabelle’s expression was wrought with the kind of compassion that felt devastatingly vulnerable. He couldn’t bear it.

“Where’s Max?” he asked, working to brighten his expression. “Is he home?”

“He’s at soccer practice. Mom just got back from dropping him off. Dad is…out.”

“The affair’s still going on,” Alec exhaled, sounding exasperated.

“I think Max has finally started to wonder,” Isabelle added softly.

“When he gets home, give him a hug for me and tell him I’m sorry I missed him.”

Jace gave Alec a crooked smile and bobbed his head once. “You got it, brother.”

“Come here; come sit.” Isabelle towed Alec over to the bed while Jace stretched out on the floor next to them, his back against the dresser. “How have you been? Are you doing okay?”

“I’m fine.” Alec gave her a smile and looked down at his hands. He never paid attention anymore to the way they were constantly bruised or cut up. In fact, his entire body was like a topographical map of wounds. Cuts ran like bodies of water across the plains of alabaster skin; scars raised and stretched like mountain ranges.

“That’s new,” Jace pointed out, gesturing at the scar through his left eyebrow.

“I get new ones every day.”

“But you’re careful, aren’t you?”

“I am,” Alec assured him. “This new job I’m working…I’m not doing it alone. I’ve got someone.”

Isabelle’s eyebrows shot up, and she gave him a dubious look. “You always work alone.”

“It’s safest, given my past. But this job, I can’t do alone.”

“What kind of person is that much of an asset that you sacrifice your autonomy?” Isabelle pulled her knees up to her chin, arms circled around her shins.

“Someone with a deep understanding of the politics outside of law. He’s part of the biggest underworld empire in the city.”

“How did you manage to get a hold of someone like that?”

“I worked a job that was going wrong fast. I was running out of time and I didn’t have the resources I needed to complete it. He was the only one with the kind of power I needed, and I was fortunate enough that he agreed to help. We became allies.” Alec had always been a private person, even with his siblings, but having to be so short with them about the man he was in love with was torture.

Maybe someday he would be able to tell them that he had fallen in love. Maybe he’d get to tell them that he was free; even though he lived his life covering his tracks and pretending to be someone he wasn’t, he had a reason to keep waking up in the morning to do a job that would always leave a burden on his shoulders. He wanted them to know that somehow, he had managed to find his salvation.

“Do you trust him?” Isabelle asked softly, putting her hand on Alec’s arm.

“I do,” Alec answered without hesitation.

A soft knock on the door made Jace and Izzy jump in shock, and found Alec reflexively reaching for his gun. Isabelle held up a hand to stop him. “Yeah?”

“I’m going to run errands before I pick Max up,” Maryse called back. “Do you need anything?”

Though the time Alec had spent apart from his siblings felt incredibly long, that which had passed since having contact with his parents was significantly greater. Hearing his mother’s voice again caused a phantom ache in his chest.

“No, I’m fine.” Isabelle held her finger to her lips to keep everyone quiet, waiting for the sound of Maryse’s retreating footsteps before her posture thawed out.

“I should go,” Alec murmured, standing up and going to the unlatched window.

“Wait, do you have to?” Jumping off the bed, Isabelle ran to him. The two collided with the brunt of her weight pushing him back a step.

“I’m sorry. It’s hard for me too, believe me. But staying too long is… I can’t do it.” He looked at Jace and nodded. “You take good care of yourselves. And tell Max I was here.”

“Of course.” Jace stood and shook hands with Alec, pulling him in for a quick hug.

After one last, lingering look at the part of his life that now only existed like fragments of a half remembered dream, Alec disappeared out the window.

Somewhere along the way back to the apartment, it began to rain, and he watched the sidewalk become increasingly dotted with grey. As he looked down at his feet, he began to question the validity of his actions. Perhaps he’d just put his family in greater danger than before. Maybe he was selfish.

When he had returned to the loft, Magnus was stretched out on the couch, holding a glass of bourbon in his left hand and absently rolling his right wrist lazily.

“Hey,” Alec said softly, toeing off his boots and removing his shoulder and thigh holsters, dropping them haphazardly on the hardwood floor.

“Alexander. Did you have a good walk?” Magnus shifted to face him, holding his glass against his sternum.

“I did.” Alec found a spot big enough to inhabit next to Magnus’ feet that he squeezed into, his hand anchored on Magnus’ thigh. “I went to see Jace and Isabelle.”

“Oh? How’d that go?”

“It was difficult; more than I thought it would be. I had assumed that the relief of seeing them after so long would cancel out the guilt of telling them lies.”

“You never stop protecting the people you love if it’s in your nature. One day, they’ll know what you’ve sacrificed for them. They’ll know that their brother loved them with the greatest heart.”

Alec shuffled closer, pressing his forehead to Magnus’ temple, kissing the side of his cheekbone softly. “Magnus, I didn’t mean to doubt you earlier. When you talked about Luke—”

“I didn’t do it.”

“What?”

“I thought about what you said, Alexander, and I believe that you’re right. The fastest way to tear down what they’re trying to build is to eliminate their front man. That’s how we stop the cartel from growing and setting down roots.”

Alec’s eyebrows furrowed in disapproval and he pulled back to look at Magnus. “Are you sure?”

“Have you ever heard Plutarch’s account of Alexander the Great in _Moralia_?” When Alec remained silent, Magnus continued. “He says that when Alexander heard about Anaxarchus’ assertion that there are infinite worlds, he wept, because he could never conquer what was endless.”

“What are you saying?”

Magnus smiled wryly, eyes cast down. “Perhaps I too made Alexander’s mistake.”

The back of Alec’s hand brushed Magnus’ tentatively. He was always so purposeful with his touches, and knowing that made each one they shared feel infinitely more intimate because of it.

“You can’t carry the weight of all those worlds, Magnus. The burden of _one_ is more than anyone can bear.”

“I have to try though, don’t I?” Magnus whispered, finally looking up at Alec.

“Not by yourself.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all right guys, things really heat up in this chapter! this is where the mild torture comes in, so please be aware and do what you're most comfortable with regarding that. if you choose to skip that section, which is from the arrival at the docks to the ending, there will be a summary for you in the notes at the bottom!

“Magnus, the door!” Alec called from the kitchen, hands full trying to pry Chairman Meow out of a box of cereal. He heard the door open and shut, then the sound of voices, but Chairman’s protesting mewls made it impossible to make out words. With one last tug, he freed the small cat, holding him at arm’s length to avoid the brunt of his displeased scratching.

Making his way back into the living room, he spotted Catarina sitting on the couch, arms hugged around her middle. Her expression was grave and concerned, and her lips moved fast as she spoke. “Magnus, he’s getting close. I don’t know how much time you have.” She stopped and looked up, meeting Alec’s gaze. “Alec. Hi.” She gave him a genuine attempt at a smile, but it was clear that it was artificial.

“Hey, Catarina.” Setting the Chairman on the rug, he came over to stand behind Magnus, hands on his shoulders. “What’s going on?”

Magnus reached up to brush his fingers over Alec’s knuckles, lifting the hand to bring to his lips. He pressed a kiss to the bruises that discolored them, then answered, “Catarina has information about Castle.”

Alec looked between the two worriedly. “Did something happen?”

Catarina nodded, rubbing at her wrist anxiously. “He came into the hospital last night, needing to be stitched up. Bad head wound. He asked for me by name. I patched him up and he mentioned you, Magnus, as well as who he referred to as your “two faced lover.” Said he was going to find you soon because he was done waiting for you to take responsibility and come to him.”

Magnus tensed under Alec’s hands. Guilt was his Achilles heel. He weighed himself down with it because he was afraid of what it would mean to not have the control it offered, the means of justifying being obsessed with fixing what was wrong. The problem was, most of the time it was projecting guilt that he didn’t deserve.

Alec rubbed at Magnus’ shoulder with his thumb, small circles with light pressure.

“We can’t let this play out any longer. Waiting to get the most information we can out of him isn’t going to do any good if we reach the point of no return,” Magnus responded, running his thumb over his lip distractedly.

“I think I know a way that I can help you,” Catarina hedged.

“How?” Alec shifted his weight forward slightly.

“Sodium pentathol.”

Alec immediately leaned back in surprise, eyebrows raised. “Are you serious? Truth serum? I thought that was a myth.”

“It’s not as clear cut as the movies make it seem,” Catarina said with a small smile. “It slows down some of the higher brain functions for a little while, making the subject a bit more cooperative, and given that lying requires more effort than telling the truth, it makes the facts easier to uncover. If you know where to put pressure, so to speak.”

Magnus was quiet for a moment, very still. “It’s worth a shot.”

Catarina looked at Alec for his confirmation, and when she received a nod, she reached into her purse, producing a small glass vial. “This needs to be administered carefully. There can be dangerous side effects if you push too much too soon.”

Alec reached for it, carefully taking it into his hand. He rolled it over in his palm, watching the liquid crest like waves inside its containment.

“I’m off rounds for the next six hours. If you have a medical emergency, I’ll be there.”

Magnus nodded and leaned forward, kissing her cheek. “We’d better get to work, then. That’s a small window of opportunity.”

Catarina stood and went over to Alec to give him a hug. “Be careful. And watch out for Magnus.”

“Always,” Alec said softly.

Taking Catarina’s arm gently, Magnus lead her to the door.

“He’s at his apartment now, waiting for you. He wants to be caught, Magnus. Be careful.”

Magnus replied with a nod, giving her a small, reassuring smile. Closing the door behind her, he rested his head back against it. “We don’t have much time.”

“How do you want to do this?” Alec was already reaching for his gun holsters, slipping them on and tightening the buckles.

“I’ve got a place we can take him.” Magnus sent a quick text off to Raphael, asking for keys to the storage units. “The question is, if he’s expecting me, how are we going to catch him off guard?”

“We don’t have to surprise him, just throw him off balance. If he’s been waiting for you to come to him, that means he’s got a chip on his shoulder. If you show up, appearing to be alone, I don’t think he’ll be able to stop himself from giving in to his need to prove himself to you.”

Magnus reached out to Alec, stilling his hand that was fumbling with the buckle of his thigh holster. “I can do that.”

Alec exhaled a laugh which abruptly hitched and cut off when Magnus’ fingers grazed the sensitive skin below his navel.

“You’re all set.” Magnus winked at him, then grabbed his gear.

“Take this.” Alec held out a knife to Magnus. There was etching on the handle which was being offered to him. He didn’t recognize the symbol, but he had noticed it before when Alec used it. It was the shape of a capital “Z” with rounded edges and a line through the center. “It’ll give me some peace of mind.”

“What does it mean?” Magnus asked, looking up at Alec.

“Deflection.”

He pocketed it with a soft smile, then pulled Alec in for a kiss. “For good luck.”

“Yeah,” Alec agreed breathlessly.

Magnus drove them down to Castle’s apartment, careful to stay only on back and side streets as much as possible. “Surveillance for their golden boy is a given,” he had pointed out. After he’d parked, he checked the clip in his gun one last time, clicking it back into place.

Alec swallowed, fist closed around his seatbelt.

“Alexander, I want you to promise me that you’ll do whatever you have to do. Whatever it takes. If you think the situation has gone sideways and you need to take him out, do it.”

Alec flexed his jaw, the muscles jumping. He gave a sharp nod.

Magnus got a few minutes head start before Alec went around the back. First, he cut all the power to Castle’s apartment, blocking off his security cameras and alarm systems. When he got inside, he would destroy the tapes. Continuing up the fire escape, he made his way up to the fifth floor. The second window on the row was locked, as he expected.

Voices could be faintly heard from where he was perched, and one was distinctly Magnus’. His tone didn’t sound aggressive yet, but placating. That was a good sign; it meant Alec had time. From the volume of the voices, he could tell he was somewhere further back from the foyer, so it was safe to jimmy open the window and slip in.

Landing softly on his feet, Alec crouched beside what he determined to be a small dresser. He’d ended up in the bedroom. The door was already open, so he cocked his gun and slid through the opening, silently making his way down the hallway towards the voices.

“You _abandoned_ me, Bane!” Alec heard Castle spit at him.

“I couldn’t condone your actions, Peter. You know that.”

“I did what I had to do to survive. You’re such a hypocrite; son of Asmodeus, prince of the underworld. You think you’re fit to tell anyone what morality is? Or that boyfriend of yours, whose destined to betray you from what’s in his blood. He’s not like you, Magnus. He never will be. You can’t seriously trust him.”

“I’m not here to talk about Alec. I want to make a deal with you. If I agree to listen to what you have to say, will you let the children go? I’m worth way more to your cause than they are. They’re contingent on more successes down the line. I’m a direct route to what you and the cartel are after.”

Castle laughed at that, the chilling sound of someone who wasn’t afraid of anything because they had nothing to lose. “Your father doesn’t trust you, Magnus. While it’s true that he can’t deny you, he sees you as his adversary. By the way, who was it that spilled the beans about the children?”

“No one you would know,” Magnus responded evenly. When Alec peeked out from behind the side wall, he caught his eye. “I can’t let you do what you’re planning, Peter.”

Castle was about to answer when Alec came up behind him, gun pressed to the back of his kneecap and his free arm holding him back by the neck. “We can do this one of two ways,” he hissed in Castle’s ear. “I can blow out your kneecap and you’ll never be able to walk on that leg again, or you can cooperate and keep them both. Your choice.” 

His response was to laugh, which Alec quickly cut off by tightening his grip. “You’re playing the fool, Lightwood.”

Alec shifted the muzzle up slightly, aimed less than a centimeter away from Castle’s kneecap and pulled the trigger, the bullet tearing through.

The scream of agony was immediate, and Castle sagged against Alec from the pain.

“Next time, I’m not going to miss. Now answer me.”

Castle jerked in Alec’s hold, but looked straight at Magnus when he answered. “Let’s go.” The defiance was a challenge. He wanted to be taken so he could play this out.

Alec nodded at Magnus and moved his gun just under the back of Castle’s shirt, pressed to his spine. “Move.”

They got out of the apartment and back to the car with Castle still conscious, but soon after he was pushed into the backseat, he passed out from the pain.

“He should be out for a while. Blood loss is starting to affect his system,” Alec reported, inspecting the bullet hole carefully as Magnus tore off down the road. “Where are we taking him?”

“The storage units on the docks. Raphael left me the keys. We shouldn’t be bothered there.”

When they arrived, Magnus was the first to exit the car, going into the small building by the entrance. The main door was unlocked, and the keys to the units were exactly where Raphael had said they would be.

Alec yanked Castle to his feet by the lapels of his jacket, eliciting a weak moan from the man. “Shut up and move.”

Magnus had just started back towards them when he noticed movement in his peripheral vision. He turned abruptly and caught sight of Luke Garroway, watching them curiously from the dock. “Shit.” He tossed the keys to Alec. “Get him inside. I’ll take care of this.” He approached the man slowly, arms loose at his sides. “Luke?”

“Who wants to know?” Luke crossed his arms against his chest, head cocked to the side slightly. No moves had been made to clear the distance to Magnus.

“I’m Magnus Bane.”

That elicited a response from Luke, who took one half step backwards.

Magus held his hands up and out in a nonthreatening motion, beckoning Luke back in with a curve of his left index and middle fingers. “It’s okay. I’m not here to ask you for anything. This isn’t business, so to speak.”

“Everything that happens here is business,” Luke corrected, though his expression had noticeably thawed out.

“Perhaps you’re right,” Magnus conceded with a smile. “It would be more apt, I suppose, to say that I’m not here to ask you do anything for me or agree to anything.”

“Who’s that?” Luke jerked his chin towards the storage unit Alec had pulled Castle into.

“With your position, I’m sure you’re aware of the new kids in town,” Magnus began. “I have it on good authority from a friend that you were approached by them, for good reason.”

“I don’t do dirty dealing or monopolies. Equal opportunity out here, as long as it’s kept under the radar.”

“So you turned down the offer?”

“I did. I have no interest in being part of something that’s growing faster than it can adjust to its power.”

Magnus gave a small nod. “I believe that’s the right choice.”

“I’ve heard about your…disloyalty to your father.” His expression was unreadable.

“It’s not disloyalty.” Magnus’ words cut across Luke’s sharply.

Luke’s eyes pointedly shifted to the spot above Magnus’ heart where his tattoo would be. “I’ve heard you still bear the mark.”

“I do. But not for sympathy. It’s a reminder of what I come from, and how to be better. My father and I have a relationship I can’t begin to explain, but for many years, we’ve coexisted without stepping on each other’s toes. We’ve respected the paths the other has taken. But now, with this new fight on the horizon, I’ve made my position clear and so has he. It appears we’ll be on opposing sides, but I’m willing to do that. Brooklyn and its people come first.”

Luke regarded him carefully for moment, eyes narrowed slightly. “There are things you care about. Things you’re afraid of losing,” he observed. “Me too.” Looking back at the storage unit, he continued, “Do what you have to do.”

Magnus held out his hand. “Thank you.”

Luke didn’t hesitate to reciprocate, firmly shaking his hand. “I think it’s safe to say you’ve already got my contact information from your sources, so feel free to use it if you need to.”

“I’ll be in touch,” Magnus nodded. He waited until Luke returned to the dock before he slipped into the storage unit.

Alec had Castle chained by his wrists to the hook on the ceiling, just low enough for his feet to graze the floor. He was once again unconscious.

As Magnus made his way over to Alec, he noticed fresh blood on his cheek and neck. “You’re bleeding.” He guided Alec’s face towards his with two fingers on his jaw, eyebrows furrowed.

“’S not mine,” Alec murmured, swiping the back of his hand across his cheek, covered by the sleeve of his jacket.

Wiping at the blood spatter until all that was left were faint steaks of crimson, Magnus gave a soft hum of approval. “Pretty boy.” He offered a tease of a smile, then turned his attention back to Castle. “You knock him out?”

Alec jerked his chin up in a nod and looked down at the glass vial of sodium pentothal. He grabbed a syringe off the table top and slowly filled it, then set it back down. “We’re ready when he is.”

“Good.” Magnus began to pace like a caged animal, movements slow but insistent. The restraint he was exercising was obvious to Alec, familiar with the tense set of his shoulders, the quick movements of his fingers rubbing together, and the repeated flexing of his hands.

When Castle let out a soft groan and began to stir, Magnus’ movements stopped for a moment, then he started to move in towards him. Grabbing him by the jaw roughly, Magnus forced his face up. “Wake up.”

A dribble of blood and saliva trailed from the corner of Castle’s mouth and he seemed to have some trouble opening his eyes at first. He let out a weak, crackling chuckle. “Look at you, Magnus. Rising to the occasion.”

“Tell me about the children,” Magnus spoke evenly, not indulging the man in conversation.

“What children?”

“Don’t waste my time with that shit.”

Forcing his eyes to open a little wider, Castle looked at Alec, back by the table. “I thought we had an understanding, Lightwood. I know your parents, your siblings. You really want to put their lives in danger?”

Alec offered no response, except to tilt his chin up almost imperceptibly, defiant.

Turning his attention back to Magnus, Castle narrowed his eyes. “You’re not going to ask me who I work for, what we’re doing in your city, what your father said when I talked to him?”

With a snort of disbelief, Magnus started to untangle the chain from the hook. “I know who you work for. The cartel would never let you just walk away after what you did to them. You’re in it for life as their errand boy. And I know what you’re doing here. You think you’re any different than the rest of them? It’s all about money and power.”

“And your father?” Castle jerked slightly when Magnus gave a rough tug on the chain, forcing him down onto the metal chair Alec had pushed out from the table.

“He’s a predictable man when you’ve known him long enough.”

“I’ll never understand why he lets you continue to wear his family crest. You don’t deserve it.”

Magnus gave a sharp tug on the chain, securing it to the back legs of the chair to hold Castle in place.

“I’ve never seen someone as ruthless in business as Asmodeus,” Castle drawled. “He doesn’t give a shit about anyone, and that’s why he’s the best at his job. But you? You’ve become a pathetic shade of who you could have been.”

Alec stood up straight and snatched the syringe, pulling the cap off. He held Castle’s gaze for a moment, then looked at Magnus. When he received a small nod, he grabbed Castle by the wrist and twisted, revealing the underside of his forearm.

“What is that?” Castle asked, looking somewhat alarmed.

Neither man responded. Alec administered the first injection, then recapped the needle and tossed it aside. “It’ll take a moment.”

“You’re not getting shit from me, Magnus,” Castle spat. “Did he tell you what he’s done?” he directed at Alec. “He’s not just a mediator, if that’s what you think. Prince of the underworld comes with a price; a price greater than just the bloodline of a fucked up family. It means spilling blood, too. A lot of it.”

Alec ignored Castle’s taunts, standing stoically by the chair.

Magnus shrugged off his jacket and slid his suspenders off his shoulders, letting them dangle off his hips. Without the jacket to cover his holster, his gun was on full display.

“ _Amor verus numquam moritur_ ,” Castle read off the barrel. “‘True love cannot die.’ What a sap you are.” He looked like he was about to say something else but he cut himself off with a shake of his head, eyebrows furrowed.

Magnus and Alec shared a look before moving in closer. “Tell me where the children are,” Alec pressed.

Castle shook his head insistently, though he was noticeably less smug that he had been before. “There’s nothing to tell.” He was starting to sweat, beads of it trickling down his forehead from his hairline.

“Next dose,” Alec murmured. Magnus prepared the second syringe while Alec watched Castle carefully. “There are some serious complications that can arise from the use of sodium pentothal. I forgot to mention that.” He circled the chair slowly, never looking at Castle. “Cardiovascular and respiratory failure if their functions are restricted for too long, for example. You’re not having trouble breathing are you?”

Before he could answer, Magnus simply said “good,” before guiding the needle back into Castle’s arm and pushing the plunger down slowly.

“This was Catarina’s doing, I bet.” Castle’s tone was slowly losing its edge, becoming more brittle and unsure. “She still doesn’t trust me. She never did.”

“Where are the children you abducted?” Magnus pressed instead, fingers digging into the arms of the chair on either side of Castle. “Tell me where you’re keeping them.”

Castle’s head lolled slightly, and he shook his head in a motion that didn’t seem to be dismissing Magnus’ question, but was instead trying to clear up a fuzzy head. “You know it won’t change anything, right?”

“What?” Alec barked, arms crossed over his chest.

“Just because you take my drug runners from me doesn’t mean you’ve stopped anything. The cartel is still coming. We’ve got prospects and opportunities you don’t know anything about. You’ll just be slowing down the process a bit.”

“It’s a start.” Alec turned his back to prepare the last injection, but a sharp cry from Castle made him turn around abruptly.

Magnus had his index and middle fingers digging into the open gunshot wound on Castle’s leg, pressing roughly. “Tell me, you bastard. Where are they?”

“Magnus…” Alec warned lowly.

Castle squeezed his eyes shut against the pain, crying out, and then went limp, passed out from the pain.

“Damn it!” Magnus hissed, knocking over the free chair with a loud scrape against the concrete. “We’re running out of time. If we push much harder, he might arrest and we’ll have to call Catarina. We can’t risk that.” He started pacing again, scratching his blunt nails against his palms in a desperate attempt to relieve the surge of adrenaline.

“We’ve got one more dose we can give him. Then we can push some more ourselves. We have options.”

Magnus released a low noise from his chest, like a growl. “Damn it.”

Alec said nothing, inspecting his gun aimlessly so as not to press Magnus with even a glance.

“Alexander.” His tone was still sharp, lacking its usual depth and warmth it had when he addressed Alec, but the use of his full name was something. “How many times have I told you not to use that old thing?” It was a halfhearted tease, but Alec was happy to take it.

“Hey. I take great care of my guns,” Alec protested, mouth twisted into what was supposed to be frown but had turned into a small smirk.

Magnus’ expression changed to smug and he slowly inched closer to Alec. “Mm, I know you do.” He gently squeezed Alec’s upper arm appraisingly.

“I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”

With a deep, soft chuckle, Magnus put his hand over Alec’s resting on the gun. “This relic doesn’t have much left in it. Just borrow one of mine.”

Rolling his head to the side to give Magnus a very pointed look, Alec cocked the gun and aimed it at Castle’s kneecap. Without breaking eye contact with Magnus, he squeezed the trigger. There was a small click, and then nothing. “Fuck,” he hissed under his breath. “It must have jammed.”

With a heavy sigh, Magnus shook his head. Walking his index and middle fingers down Alec’s side to travel down his thigh, he grabbed a new magazine and swiftly opened the clip on the gun, letting the old one slide out. With one smooth movement, he locked the new magazine in and fixed the jam with a solid tug on the barrel. Slapping it against Alec’s chest, he said, “It’ll do for today.”

Once Alec grabbed the gun, Magnus slipped his hand out from under his and looked away with a small, lingering smile.

A mumble from Castle grabbed their attention. Magnus moved in towards him. “Wake up.” He kicked one of the legs of the chair forcefully, causing it scrape back on the floor with a shrill, grating noise.

He jerked back to consciousness, looking up at Magnus. He seemed weaker, his movements more lethargic, and he was sweating even more, hairline damp from it.

Alec joined Magnus next to the chair, holding out the last syringe.

Castle was quiet, lips pressed together. He glanced up at them once, but otherwise kept his gaze on the floor.

After the third dose was administered, Magnus grabbed him by the tops of his arms. “Where are you keeping the children, Peter?” he asked softly.

“The warehouse behind Pandemonium,” Castle relented, his breathing becoming more labored. There was a soft wheezing sound on every exhale.

“It’s not a one man job; who’s helping cover your tracks?”

“A guy at the club. He’s got a contact at the bar that we arrange meetings through. I don’t know his name, we just pass information.”

“How?”

“Upside down shot glass on a napkin folded diagonally.” His breaths were becoming shallower.

Magnus stepped back and looked over at Alec. “Call Catarina. I think he’s going to go into respiratory failure.” He carefully untangled the chains holding Castle from the chair but kept his hands bound.

In a desperate attempt at freeing himself, Castle lunged for Alec’s discarded gun lying out on the table, grasped with both hands. He pointed it at Magnus, cocking it. “I told you it wouldn’t change anything, Magnus. I still win.” His hands were shaking slightly, and his voice trembled a bit.

Alec had dropped his phone to the floor before he had even gotten to dial Catarina and had his own gun up out in front of him, almost touching the back of Castle’s skull. “Drop it.”

“I kill Magnus and you kill me… That might be a fair trade.”

Magnus had his hands up at his sides, palms out, looking at Alec intently.

“Drop it, Castle. I won’t ask you again,” Alec said evenly.

Castle’s finger twitched on the trigger and that was all it took for Alec to pull his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those who skipped, here's a summation of what you missed!
> 
> after a bit of pushing from magnus and alec, castle reveals that the children are being held in a warehouse close to pandemonium, and that he has a contact at pandemonium who he arranges meetings with through one of the bartenders. after they get this information from him, castle begins to experience respiratory failure and alec goes to call catarina. while magnus is releasing castle from the chair, he grabs for magnus' gun and points it at him, and when he moves to pull the trigger, alec shoots him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're almost at the end! i can't believe it!
> 
> in the end notes of this chapter, i've put in a bit of interesting research i had done a character that shows up in this section, if you want to check it out!

_“Really Alexander, your hair is out of control,” Magnus murmured distractedly, snipping carefully at the hair along the side of Alec’s head with a small pair of scissors._

_Alec was perched on the bathroom counter, hands braced on the ledge as he leaned in towards Magnus. “I haven’t had the time to do anything about it.”_

_Magnus snorted softly, leaning back to inspect his work. “We’re getting there.”_

_Hooking his index fingers through the belt loops of Magnus’ jeans, Alec tugged him back in abruptly._

_“Careful! I could poke one of those pretty eyes out.”_

_“I’m willing to risk it,” Alec murmured, nuzzling along Magnus’ jaw. The soft sigh he let out tickled Magnus’ skin. His hands drifted up, underneath the fabric of Magnus’ shirt, stroking lightly at the skin._

_“You’ve always been a daredevil, haven’t you?” Magnus teased wryly, rolling his eyes. He pushed his fingers gently through the top layer of hair, shaking loose little strands._

_Alec shivered when some fell down the back of his shirt. It was still damp from his shower and surprisingly sharp enough to irritate his skin. “Tickles,” he said defensively._

_When Magnus moved to lift the scissors again, Alec grabbed his wrist, stopping him. “Magnus.”_

_He looked up at Alec with the residue of an affectionate smile which soon faded when he saw the expression on his face. “Is something wrong?”_

_“I lost a kid today on my patrol.”_

_Blinking rapidly in surprise, Magnus straightened up to face Alec directly. “What happened?”_

_Alec shook his head once, then tilted his chin down to carefully inspect his hands. He hadn’t noticed before, but there was still dried blood underneath his fingernails that he hadn’t pried free. “The guy I was tailing took a shot at me and hit the kid instead. I had him pinned and he panicked, so he pulled the trigger blind. After I finished the job, I…I tried to help the kid, but he was already gone. I couldn’t do anything.”_

_Gently guiding Alec’s chin up, tearing his eyes from his bloodied nails, Magnus said firmly, “That is not your fault, Alexander. You tried to save his life; that’s the part that matters.”_

_“We can’t save everyone. I know that. I’ve lost people before, and I’ve even made peace with the fact that to save lives, I take others. But this was—this was an innocent child. Nothing was gained from his loss.”_

_Magnus rubbed soothing circles into Alec’s jaw with his thumb. “It happens sometimes, Alec. It’s tragic and sickening and it’s…an unjust loss, but it’s not your fault and you can’t fix it by trying to assume responsibility.”_

_Alec flexed his jaw, the muscle jumping. “I know. But it feels like… As soon as I got home, I washed off all the blood partly because I didn’t want you to see that. See_ me _like that.”_

_“I’ve seen you with blood on your hands before, and I’ve never thought less of you. You’ve seen the same on me.” Magnus grabbed a washcloth from the towel rack and moistened it with hot water, rubbing at Alec’s nails with it. Alec’s stomach dropped when he realized Magnus had seen the blood too._

_“I’m sorry.”_

_“You have nothing to apologize for,” Magnus immediately refuted._

_“You don’t have to say that, Magnus. Not if you don’t—”_

_Abandoning the washcloth and replacing it with Alec’s hands, Magnus squeezed them gently to get his attention. “I could never lose any part of my love for you.” He traced the shell of Alec’s ear gently. “You don’t have to hide from me.”_

_“Magnus…” He didn’t know what he was trying to say; didn’t know what he was asking for._

_When Magnus moved in closer, his thighs pressing against Alec’s knees, Alec finally realized what he was longing for. It was_ Magnus _. It felt like there was a gaping chasm between them that he couldn’t seem to bridge, and he had a desperate need to not feel alone._

_“What do you need, Alexander? What can I do?” Magnus was so sincere that Alec felt like crying._

_“I just.... I need you and me. Not just me.” There seemed to be a disconnect between his mouth and his brain because what had made perfect sense before didn’t seem to be clear at all when he heard himself say it._

_Magnus, benevolent and earnest, seemed to understand, though, because he gathered Alec in his arms, holding him close. He cradled the base of Alec’s head in one hand, supporting him with a grounding touch, and had the other rubbing Alec’s back soothingly. “It’s us, baby. It’s you and me.”_

_“Please. Touch me,” Alec whispered in his ear._

_The combination of hot breath and the weight of his words made Magnus feel like he was burning up from the inside. But oh, what a lovely burn. “Okay. Come on.”_

_Alec clung to him, keeping their bodies pressed flush against each other at all times, even as Magnus fumbled with the doorknob to the bedroom. As soon as the obstruction was clear, Alec drove him backwards towards the bed, not stopping until they fell onto it._

_They were lying on their sides, facing each other, with Alec’s leg between Magnus’ and his hands plastered to either side of his face._

_Slowing the momentum of the kisses, Magnus began to drift from Alec’s lips to other parts of his face. He kissed eyelids, the tip of the nose, the corner of the mouth, and just below the ear with all the tenderness he could give._

_Alec frantically grasped at Magnus’ skin, needing him closer, needing to feel more than sated. He needed to drown in Magnus, to feel like he could never find a way to escape the feel of his body, the smell of his skin, the sound of his voice._

_“There’s no hurry,” Magnus whispered against his neck, pressing wet kisses along the muscle standing out. “Just relax.”_

_Alec was helpless to resist, going boneless in his arms._

_Magnus used it as leverage to roll Alec onto his back, gently straddling him. His hands found purchase on Alec’s hips, caressing the exposed skin worshipfully. “I love you, Alexander. Deeper than the ocean and bigger than the sky.”_

_With a sigh of delight, Alec sunk his fingers into the soft skin of Magnus’ hips. “I love you more.” It was simple, direct, as Alec always was, and for Magnus, that was always enough. Sweeping gestures were Magnus’ forte, and yet he’d never needed them in return to feel truly loved; not when Alec was able to do the same in his own way._

_Laughing softly, Magnus moved back up Alec’s body, rucking up his shirt as he went until he reached Alec’s sternum. Alec immediately lifted his arms and tugged with Magnus to free himself, then was quick to help Magnus divest himself of his own._

_Skin against skin was a relief for Alec, who still was chasing satiation with an unfettered longing. “Pants?” He asked against Magnus’ lips, voice muffled by Magnus pressing one last kiss to his before pulling back slightly._

_“Off?”_

_“Please.”_

_Magnus reached for Alec’s belt and deftly unbuckled it, then slid his finger through the button of his pants, slipping it through the hole. His hands bumped Alec’s a few times as Alec tried to work around him to reciprocate._

_When there was nothing left between them other than the soft fabric of their underwear, Magnus pressed back down against Alec, who was more than happy to envelope him._

_“Can I touch you?” Alec asked, running his palms down the curve of Magnus’ spine, fingers stopping at the elastic of his waistband._

_“Yes, Alexander,” Magnus purred, arching his back luxuriously._

_Alec’s hands carefully slid under the fabric, palming at skin, gripping at it hungrily. He shifted his hips up as he pressed Magnus close, and their sounds of contentment coalesced in a beautiful sound all its own. “Can you touch me?”_

_“Where do you want me? Here?” Magnus slid his hand down Alec’s front slowly, then, when he got closer to where Alec seemed to be guiding him, his fingers did the walking. “Can I touch you here?” Magnus’ hand rested over the front of Alec’s boxers, hovering slightly above._

_“Yes.” Alec threw his head back when Magnus complied. His mind was getting fuzzy as his body cried out for surrender. He wanted to make Magnus feel good, wanted to give to the man he loved so vastly and so unrestrictedly. Focus was something he was losing, though. “W-wait, slow down.”_

_Magnus immediately stopped the movements of his body, holding himself up above Alec to keep his weight off him, which was the opposite of what Alec was trying to ask for. “Do you want to stop?”_

_“God, no,” Alec laughed, tipping his head forward to touch his nose to Magnus’. “I just want to touch you too and I’m distracted.”_

_They traded slow kisses for a while, but those eventually bloomed into something more ambiguous. Specific touches Alec could identify became reduced simply to grasping at sweat-slick skin, a plethora of sensations barreling towards crescendo._

_There was a high that came with this kind of fusion of soul and body that Alec was certain would make him an addict. It felt like touching a live wire; it was too much—too much to describe with words, too much to process with any clarity. But there was no way he could let go, because he had never felt such an overabundance of anything in all his life._

_“When nothing makes sense,” Alec murmured breathlessly against Magnus’ neck after the pleasure had reached its crest, “there’s always you.”_

_With a smile like the sun emerging on a cloudy day, Magnus simply replied, “Always.”_

* * *

 

The loud music vibrating the frame of Pandemonium rattled Magnus and Alec down to their bones as they stood outside the doors.

“What should I be looking for?” Alec asked, hand on his thigh holster. Half of his face was glowing pale red from the neon lights of the sign mounted just above them.

“You’ll know as soon as I do.” Absently twirling his butterfly knife between his fingers, Magnus’s rings glinted.

Alec gave a curt nod and started for the double doors. Magnus followed close behind, one warm hand settled on the small of Alec’s back.

The loud music doubled in volume from the second they set foot inside. The temperature was also noticeably higher inside, created by the mingled body heat of hundreds of people dancing in clusters, sweat shining in the strobe lights.

Alec made a beeline for the bar, which was the least crowded spot in the club.

“Good choice.” Magnus had to lean in close to Alec and nearly touch his lips to his ear to be heard over the noise. “I definitely need a drink.”

“How hard do you want it?” Alec leaned on the counter, signaling the bartender with a wiggle of his fingers.

A roguish smile spread across Magnus’ lips. “Alex _ander_. I love it when you talk dirty.”

“Fuck off,” Alec shot back, rolling his eyes. He startled slightly at the hand he suddenly felt on his hip, hooking over the top of his pants. Magnus’ blunt nails scratched at him pleasantly.

“Hi,” Magnus said to the bartender, ignoring Alec completely. “Two tequilas shots.”

When she returned with their drinks, garnished with a lime wedge each, and a small glass bowl of salt, Magnus slid a fifty dollar bill across the counter to her with a wink.

Shot glass in hand, he turned to Alec, deftly pulling the sheer fabric of his shirt to the side, revealing the sharp slope between his shoulder and collarbone.

“What are you doing?” Alec tried to look at the patch of exposed skin in his peripheral vision, but was stopped by Magnus pressing his forefinger to his lips.

“Body shots. What does it look like I’m doing?” Without further ado, Magnus leaned down and licked a slow stripe across Alec’s shoulder, tongue flat and broad.

Alec closed his eyes at the sensation, feeling extremely overheated. The soft tickle of the salt being sprinkled on sharpened his focus.

“ _Salud_.” Magnus downed his shot, slamming the glass down, and then leaned over to scoop the salt from Alec’s skin with a curled tongue.

Alec reached over him and plucked the lime from the rim of the glass, sticking the rind carefully between his teeth.

When Magnus leaned up, he looked at Alec’s mouth with a grin and leaned in for the lime. Their lips brushed for a few seconds, becoming a messy, sticky kiss.

Once they had parted, Magnus held out the second shot to Alec. “Your turn.”

Alec reached over to take a pinch of salt between his fingers. “Hold up your hand.” Giving the soft skin between Magnus’ thumb and index finger a wet suck, leaving behind a trail of saliva, he sprinkled the salt on it.

Opening his mouth obediently, Magnus allowed Alec to place the lime in his mouth.

Alec downed the shot with a bit less grace that Magnus, dribbling some of the remaining drink over Magnus’ hand when he went in to lick off the salt. Magnus purposely bumped their noses together playfully when he ducked in for the lime, which Alec carefully freed from his teeth. Spitting the rind out with a smirk, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Another round?” the bartender asked, already reaching for more glasses.

“A martini for me, please,” Magnus drawled, looking at the small wet spot on the shoulder of Alec’s shirt with a glint in his eye.

“Jack and Coke. Thanks.” Alec dragged his pinky up the inside of Magnus’ arm, eyes bouncing off the bartender to observe the crowd around them.

“We need one eye on the bar and one on the dancefloor. Which do you want?” Magnus asked, discreetly glancing over his shoulder at the crowd of bodies closest to them.

“I’ll take the floor.”

“Maybe you’d have a better view from there,” Magnus mused, accepting his drink when the bartender returned.

Alec quirked up an eyebrow, taking a sip of his own. “You’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking, are you?”

“You’re way too smart for your own good.” Carefully folding his napkin diagonally, Magnus placed his shot glass upside down on top of it. “Come on, smartass.” He grabbed Alec’s hand and led him to the edge of the dancefloor, where he knew Alec would feel the least infringed upon.

Alec’s hands easily found Magnus’ hipbones, fingers slipping against the leather of his pants. To get a better grip, he hooked his index fingers through the belt loops. “I have got to learn to keep my mouth shut.”

Magnus rolled his hips, moving against Alec in perfect time with the music. One hand cradled the back of his head, pulling him in close. “I rather like you with your mouth open, lots of good tends to come out of it. Like this, for example.” He kissed Alec softly on the mouth, coaxing him on with a gentle prod from his tongue at the seam of his lips.

Separating their lips with a soft, self-satisfied hum, Alec smiled.

Magnus slid his hands down Alec’s back slowly until they came to rest in the back pockets of his jeans. Now able to get a good grip on him, he tugged him in closer. “See anyone suspicious yet?”

“I’ve been a little preoccupied,” Alec snorted, doing a quick scan of the crowd. “Nothing yet.”

Glancing over Alec’s shoulder, Magnus gave a small shake of his head. “Me neither.”

Their chests dragged against each other, sticking from sweat, and their faces were illuminated by all different colors from the changing lights. Keeping their bodies flush against each other was the only way to avoid knocking into an unfamiliar, gyrating stranger, so Alec was happy to keep Magnus closer than he usually would in a public setting.

Magnus shifted in his hold, situating his back to Alec’s front and guiding his hands around his waist to rest on the inside of his pelvis. When he was sure Alec would keep them there, he slid one hand up the back of Alec’s head, tugging gently at his hair. His hips pressed back and Alec was happy to receive him, offering pressure with his hands that encouraged Magnus’ movements.

Leaning down to kiss Magnus’ shoulder in repeated, open-mouthed kisses, Alec was lost in a haze of heat and the smell of Magnus’ cologne and sweat. His eyelids grew heavy, and the atmosphere around him felt like it was slowing him down. His center was Magnus; the dull thudding of his heart in his chest and the slow, syrupy movements of his hips.

Magnus’ nails gently scratching at his scalp caught his attention, and forced his eyes to open wider. “Magnus?”

“It’s an educated guess, but I think I might have found someone we’re looking for.”

Alec disentangled himself from Magnus and followed the finger that was pointing at a tall man with black hair and olive toned skin making his way over to the bar. He had on a long black coat that was unconducive to the club environment—the first indication that something wasn’t right about him. The second was the obvious bulge in the back of his waistband that could be clearly identified by Magnus and Alec as a concealed gun.

Alec followed close by Magnus’ side as they weaved between bodies to exit the dancefloor. Shouldering their way through, they shadowed him to the bar where they saw him talk to one of the male bartenders who was holding the napkin and shot glass Magnus had left behind.

Magnus subtly tapped the side of his nose twice, and Alec gave a sharp nod, splitting off from Magnus to intercept from the other side.

When the man headed for the side door that lead out to the alleyway, Magnus trailed behind him and Alec took the front door out.

Under the dull light of the streetlamp, Magnus pulled his gun. “I’ve been looking for you.”

The man turned and Magnus felt himself tense reflexively.

“Hey, big brother.”

“Alastor.” Magnus’s mouth was set into a hard line. He wouldn’t let this put him at the disadvantage. He had a job to do, and nothing would stop him from doing it. Putting aside the past and conveniently forgetting shared history was something he found himself doing frequently in his line of business. There was a lot of it backlogged from being Asmodeus’ son.

Alastor was the second oldest, three years Magnus’ junior. Three years was all that separated him from all the prestige and power he had wanted that Magnus had thrown away. He was the one who lost the most when Magnus left. He would have been Magnus’ successor, taking his rightful place at their father’s right hand. But instead, Asmodeus withheld it and passed over a son that was desperate to please him.

“This doesn’t change anything,” Magnus said softly. When he caught sight of Alec coming up behind Alastor, he dropped his chin slightly. Alec came to a stop, hand on his gun, still in its holster.

Sensing the change in the atmosphere, Alastor looked over his shoulder. “Your partner? I’m surprised. You always think you can handle everything yourself.”

Magnus ignored the jibe and looked at Alec. “This is my brother, Alastor.”

Alec did his best to keep his expression measured, revealing nothing of the surprise and concern he felt. His hand remained on his gun, though his grip relaxed slightly.

“You’re really going to take me down, Magnus? _Me_?” Alastor rested his hands at his side, tapping his thumb against the outside of his thigh in what appeared to be a nervous tick.

“You think my leaving our family was unforgiveable, and a disgrace. How could I know what loyalty is, right?”

He received no response.

“What I did is nothing like what it looks like you have done. You work for Asmodeus—you represent him! You hate me for what you perceive to be turning my back on him, but look at you, helping a leech find its way into the empire he built. For what? Spite? Do you really hate him that much?”

“Not as much as I hate you!” Alastor spat, moving in closer to Magnus. It was an instinctual shift fueled by an anger that was rapidly growing and burning hotter. “It’s your fault that I didn’t get to take the place I deserved at our father’s side! It’s your fault that his sons are little more than pawns anymore! He still has allegiance to you; allegiance that I’ve _earned_ with blood and sweat and dedication. You’ve done nothing but alienate yourself from us and oppose everything he ever tried to give you.” His cold eyes were almost black, the irises so dark that they seemed to melt into the pupil. It was nearly impossible to distinguish where one ended and the other began.

“We know you were working with Castle,” Alec interjected, trying to take the focus off the brothers.

“He’s dead?” The question was directed at Magnus, who responded with a small jerk of his chin. “Mm,” Alastor hummed vaguely.

“And we know about the children you helped him abduct to run the drugs for the cartel,” Alec continued. “They’ve been safely relocated.”

Alastor’s left hand balled into a fist at his side. “That doesn’t change anything. The cartel is still coming, and it’s still going to take everything down. I’m not the only one working behind Asmodeus’ back.”

“No one else that works for our father would be stupid enough to double-cross him,” Magnus snorted, eyes narrowed as he stared down the man he once knew better than anyone.

Alastor once adored Magnus, looked up to him even more than he did Asmodeus. He wanted to become just like him because he envied that Magnus was strong and brave and unafraid. Being confident and headstrong had once been something Alastor admired about him, but when it began to conflict with Asmodeus, they were no longer virtues but vices in his eyes. “You’d be surprised,” he said to Magnus with a flare of defiance.  

“Who is it?” Alec pressed, raising his gun. The course was plotted, and Alastor had made his position clear—there was no chance of reasoning with him now.

“For your sake, don’t trust Magnus,” was Alastor’s unexpected response. He leveled Alec with a fixed gaze. “He’ll fuck _you_ over too. It’s in his nature.”

“The name,” Alec pressed, refusing to be ruffled. “Give us the name.”

“Azazel.”

“Son of a bitch,” Magnus murmured, shaking his head.

“You’d give him up that easily?” Alec looked unsure, one eye squinted slightly.

“Because he’s going to destroy you both. And I’d rather watch than do the dirty work myself.” Alastor started to back up slowly towards the mouth of the alleyway leading out to the street. His hands were up in surrender. “I’ll see you around, big brother. Maybe you’ll see me too.”

Alec lowered his gun, and while Magnus’ stayed up, he made no move to go on the offensive.

Once Alastor had disappeared, Alec slid his gun back into its holster and approached Magnus, touching the top of his arm gently. “You okay?”

He dropped his arm to his side—the only change in his stance. “Let’s go.”

“Where?”

Magnus looked over at Alec, jaw set. “My father’s.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the name "alastor" was very specifically chosen for the type of person he is and where he fits in in both his family and the world. this section i found in researching the meaning of the name best embodies it:
> 
> ""Alastor" is Ancient Greek for "he who does not forget", thus "avenger", "persecutor", "tormenter", "one who suffers from divine vengeance"… Alastor was an epithet of the Greek god Zeus, according to Hesychius of Alexandria and the Etymologicum Magnum, which described him as the avenger of evil deeds, specifically, familial bloodshed."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my sincerest gratitude to everyone who has taken the time to read my very first multichapter fic! i can't believe we've reached the end! i thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, leaving kudos and comments, and sharing! ♡

_“I had a feeling I’d find you here.”_

_Alec stepped back from the punching bag, stilling its swinging by catching it with one hand._

_“Rough day?” Magnus guessed, making his way over._

_“Not one of my best.”_

_“Do you want to talk about it?”_

_“No.” Alec turned his attention back to the bag. Each time his fist collided with it, there was a dull, muted_ thwack _. Right. Right, left. Right, right, left, right._

_Magnus came over to stand behind the bag, keeping it steady with his hands low and pressing his chest against it as counter resistance. With each of Alec’s punches, he absorbed some of the force._

_Alec eventually slowed, dropping his taped hands to his sides. His hair stuck to his forehead, damp with sweat. The neon halogen lights hanging in the window of the gym forming the word “open” turned the trails of sweat on his body red. “What are you doing?”_

_“You said you didn’t want to talk about it,” Magnus answered simply._

_With a soft smile, the kind reserved only for Magnus, Alec kissed the corner of his mouth delicately. “You know what I do want?”_

_“What’s that?” Magnus purred, hands resting at the small of Alec’s back. They had slid underneath the wet fabric of his shirt and were lightly running up and down either side of his spine._

_“Hand to hand.”_

_With a self-assured smile, Magnus took a step back. “You think I’m easy to get on the floor?” He slid off his jacket and tugged off his Henley, left only in his boots and pants._

_Alec peeled the tape off his hands, tossing it into his bag, and stood before Magnus with his hands loose at his sides, legs slightly bent and spread shoulders’ width apart._

_With a slight beckoning motion of his index and middle fingers, Magnus mirrored him._

_Alec started to circle him, then threw the first punch. It was light, meant to be dodged. He was just dipping his toe in the water, tracking the patterns in Magnus’ movements._

_He ducked the return jab, hands up in front of his face._

_They traded loose punches for a while until Magnus escalated things by sweeping Alec’s leg out from under him, effectively dropping him on his back. “You done stalling?” he asked, offering Alec a hand._

_Alec gave him a roguish grin, letting himself be pulled to his feet._

_“Okay?”_

_“Okay.”_

_“Okay?”_

_“Yeah. Let’s go.” Alec punctuated his sentence with a punch to Magnus’ left side that he seemed to have a harder time keeping covered._

_They learned each other’s movements and mapped them, escalating their efforts in tandem. It was impossible for one to outdo the other, following the same learning curve._

_When Alec caught Magnus’ wrist and flipped him over onto his back, Magnus hit the mat hard. Lightly holding him down with his foot planted on Magnus’ chest, Alec huffed out a breath. “You’ve gone rusty spending all these years as a diplomat, Magnus.”_

_Magnus reached up to grab Alec’s ankle with both hands and used his weight against him, flipping him over. With a knee against his sternum, Magnus held himself up. “No, you just learn new tricks. For example, taking a hit to give yourself an advantage.”_

_Alec, still unwilling to relent, tried to unseat Magnus, who just pressed in harder against him. He was pinned. Throwing his head back with a dissatisfied grunt, Alec tapped his palm on the mat twice._

_Magnus let him up and stood. “You’re a very quick study. I’m impressed,” he admitted, snatching one of the water bottles from Alec’s gym bag._

_Alec shrugged, wiping his forehead with the bottom of his shirt._

_The glaze of sweat that slicked Magnus’ golden skin seemed to further emphasize the hard muscle of his shoulders, arms, and back. “I knew an alliance with you was the smart move.”_

_“I appreciate the flattery, but you and I both know it was more of a calculated risk.” Alec tossed his water aside and sat down on the bench beside Magnus._

_“There’s a joke in there somewhere.”_

_Alec bumped his shoulder against Magnus’ affectionately._

_Keeping his eyes on the bottle in his hands, Magnus asked, “Do you feel a bit chattier now that you’ve gotten to let off some steam?”_

_“Nope.”_

_Magnus lolled his head to the side to give him a tremendously unimpressed look. “You’re so stubborn, Alexander.”_

_“I think it’s secretly one of your favorite things about me,” Alec teased. The backs of their hands brushed each other, and Alec touched his fingers to Magnus’ for a fleeting moment._

_“You’ll never get me to admit it, so don’t hold your breath.” Magnus ran his fingers through his hair, dampening it with sweat, and stood up. The shadows cast by the lights cast the small dip of his spine into relief. “Come on, then. Round two.”_

_“That wasn’t a fair fight, you know,” Alec pointed out, making his way back to the mat._

_Magnus raised an eyebrow at him._

_“You’re a high level distraction.”_

_“Fight through the pain. First lesson.” Magnus was helpless to keep himself from egging Alec on. Alec’s innate predisposition to be better in everything he did was something Magnus had noticed from the first interaction they shared. Sometimes, it worked to his advantage; pushing Alec like this was something he found he rather enjoyed, if only for the delightful end results he’d managed to accrue._

_Alec tilted his head to the side slightly, steeling himself for Magnus’ move._

_Choosing to be predictable, Magnus first aimed two consecutive punches at Alec’s sternum, which were deflected by Alec with more force than he’d used previously._

_“I may have stoked that fire a bit, hmm?”_

_Alec pushed back against him, separating their arms. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”_

_“Trash talk is not your forte, darling,” Magnus said with a_ tsk _, shaking his head with a playfully pitying expression._

_Alec lunged at him, and Magnus quickly shifted out of the way, dropping back._

_“To be fair, I’m not used to this much dialoguing when I’m—” Magnus flung an arm out and caught Alec in the chest, sending him tumbling back. He rolled on his right shoulder, righting himself on his knees._

_Magnus cocked his head slightly, a silent coaxing—_ your move _._

_Alec bared his teeth slightly and threw himself at Magnus. His punches were harder, his movements were quicker, and he was using Magnus’ moves against him. He caught Magnus by the shoulder and forced him down, one knee pinning his forearm and his arms locked on either side of Alec’s other arm, rendering it stationary._

_“If I said I did that on purpose because I wanted you on top of me…” Magnus hinted, fighting a smile._

_“I wouldn’t blame you, but I also would think you’re full of shit.” Alec leaned down and kissed him, the tips of his hair brushing against Magnus’ forehead. Their sweat mingled where they were pressed together, slick and hot._

_Magnus laughed into Alec’s mouth as he frantically chased after it, noses sliding against each other._

_Alec’s grip on Magnus loosened as his attention was redirected, and Magnus gently maneuvered him onto his back so they were lying side by side._

_“We’re pretty evenly matched. Want to call it a draw?” Alec’s breathing was loud and labored as he leaned his head on the inside of his arm, facing Magnus._

_“I’m good with that.” Magnus’ fingers fluttered airily, his arm falling weakly on top of Alec’s, their fingers slotted together._

* * *

 

“Open the fucking doors,” Magnus barked, getting out of the cab with Alec. The two bodyguards that had greeted them once they passed the gate hurried to acquiesce.

A loud crack of thunder preceded their entrance, a hard rain having just begun before they arrived at the estate. The wet sound of rain-soaked boot treads echoed in the vast entrance hall.

Another bodyguard appeared from one of the rooms, quickly coming up beside Magnus but struggling to keep up with his purposeful strides. “What are you doing here?”

“Go get Asmodeus.”

“He’s having a meeting with Azazel in his office.”

“Good,” Magnus said curtly.

The man flung his arm out in front of Magnus before he could reach for the doorknob. “It’s a private meeting. You’ll be notified when he’s available.”

Magnus’ fist collided with the man’s jaw, sending him staggering back one step.  The retaliation punch was easily blocked by Magnus’ arm, which he then used as leverage against the man. Forcing him down to the floor with a firm shove on the shoulder blade, Magnus put his foot in the center of the man’s back and held his arm back. “I don’t like waiting.” Kicking the man with the top of his foot, only hard enough to knock him unconscious, he straightened up and gave Alec a nod.

They went through the double doors, shoulder to shoulder.

Azazel was leaning over the desk, hands planted firmly as he spoke at a low grumble. Asmodeus was in the chair across from him, looking slightly disgruntled with whatever they had been discussing. At the interruption, both looked up in concern.

“Magnus? Alec?”

Asmodeus moved to stand, but before he was even out of his chair, Magnus had stridden over to Azazel and grabbed him by the throat with his right hand, thumb pressing on his windpipe.

“You thought we wouldn’t find out? You fucking bastard.”

Azazel looked oddly unperturbed by the accusation, expressing discomfort only with the tight squeezing around his neck. He didn’t make any attempt to speak, jaw clenched tightly. His dark eyes were narrowed at Magnus, never breaking contact.

“Magnus, what’s going on?” Asmodeus questioned, slowly making his way around the desk to him.

“Azazel’s been playing you. So has Alastor. They’ve been working behind your back with Castle. I understand you haven’t made a decision whether to accept or decline his offer? Azazel made the decision for you, and Alastor helped Castle lay the groundwork for their businesses.” Magnus tilted his head to the side slightly. “You’ve always been jealous, haven’t you? You got upstaged by a young man half your age,” he sneered, flexing his fingers to free Azazel’s windpipe to allow him to respond.

Azazel directly addressed Asmodeus, looking only at him. “You’re weak. You pined away for a child who turned on you, and let him run the streets as a piss-poor vigilante, betraying you, while bearing your mark. You let him take from you, ask you for sacrifices. It’s pathetic.” He twisted the onyx ring on his pinky idly as he spoke, his tone dropped lower. “One day, it was bound to catch up with you and destroy this empire that I helped you build. But I’m not going to sit back and let you take that away from me.”

“The deal’s off the table.” Alec stood rigid, arms folded behind his back. “Castle’s dead. The cartel doesn’t have a front man anymore, and now that he’s disappeared, all the allies he tried to gather will forget all about his offer and who he represents.”

“You’re losing your clout,” Azazel continued, paying no attention to Alec. “I knew you wouldn’t step down, so you’d have to be forced out. It’s what was best for all of us.”

“You trusted Castle that much? Trusted the cartel that much?” Alec asked incredulously.

“Of course not. As soon as our business expansion was satisfactory, they were going to be cut out. This empire doesn’t need growth—it needs rebirth. It’s been stuck in idle for too long, playing second to other organizations and making contracts with allies who are in way over their heads at just the idea of standing alongside us. If we don’t evolve, we’ll splinter.”

Asmodeus stepped forward, standing toe to toe with Azazel. He just looked at him for a moment. The breaking of the bond between them was almost tangible; snapping apart like a rubber band stretched too far—something that had been fraught with tension for an immeasurable amount of time that just couldn’t take the strain any longer. “You’re finished.”

“I have no regrets about my actions,” Azazel asserted. “You’re not fit to run this organization anymore. Someone else will come for you eventually. You’ve outlived your usefulness to all of us.”

When he had been handed off to a pair of bodyguards, Magnus moved towards Alec, reaching for him. Their fingers found each other as if they were magnetized.

“Magnus.” Asmodeus stood a respectful distance away from them, arms behind his back innocuously. Taking Magnus’ silence as encouragement, he continued. “Thank you for coming to me with this information. I respect your decision.”

“Don’t.” He held up a hand to stop him. “I don’t want your gratitude. I didn’t do it for you.”

“With your apparent moral compass, I’m surprised you’ve found a place working outside the law when you seem so keen on keeping it in place.”

“It’s not about the law. It never has been. I do what I believe will protect people, whether it jives with the law or not. It can be extremely exclusionary in some respects.”

“Your brother… He’s always been jealous of you; that when you left, I didn’t trust him to replace you.”

“It wasn’t about me,” Magnus said sharply. “This isn’t about you choosing me over the others because you like me the best. I was your biggest threat, so you needed to make me into your strongest ally. If you can’t beat them, join them, right? Alastor swallowed your bullshit story, though. And you knew what you were doing, trying to set us up to hate each other. It’s all a power play with you.”

Asmodeus crossed his arms, leveling Magnus with a look of contempt. His russet colored eyes looked more red than brown, and there was chilling malice in the way they stared unyieldingly. Shaking his head, he murmured, “Arrogant boy.”

“Old fool,” Magnus returned, chin lifted defiantly.

*          *          *          *

**[From: Unknown, 11:59am]**

**Job completed. Payment instructions to follow.**

**[From: Unknown, 12:00pm]**

**Full payment in cash mailed to previously disclosed P.O. Box address. Envelope labelled only with client name: Callie Roberts.**

**[From: Unknown, 12:00pm]**

**Include burner phone, properly powered off, in payment package.**

*          *          *          *

“What do you think happened to Azazel?” Alec asked, thoughtfully looking down into his glass of red wine. He swirled it aimlessly, a few little droplets landing on the back of his hand.

“There’s procedural punishment in my father’s domain,” Magnus began carefully, looking up from the dark orange flames flickering in the fireplace. “By now, they’ve likely burned off his tattoo, released his fingerprints anonymously to the NYPD, and alerted his contacts. Word has already begun to spread, according to some sources of mine.”

“There will always be things like this, won’t there?”

Magnus’ eyebrows furrowed in concern. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve averted this crisis, but by tomorrow I’m sure there will be another on the horizon. It never stops.”

“It’s not fair, is it?” Magnus rose to his knees from his spot on the floor by the ottoman and settled himself between Alec’s legs, hands on his thighs. “It’s not fair that there are only a handful of us who know what’s really out there, lurking in the shadows. It puts the burden of thousands of lives on our shoulders, and we learn to believe that if we don’t take it upon ourselves to balance the scales, there will be no justice. It’s not fair that we get the cursed life—lying to people we care about, keeping secrets to protect them, and sometimes losing them in the crossfire. We didn’t deserve what we were given.”

Alec absently ran his forefinger over the curves of Magnus’ knuckles. “Sometimes I wonder what I would be doing if it didn’t have to be like this. If I hadn’t passed the point of no return, with my only choices being becoming someone I would always despise or something I wasn’t sure I could bear, what else would have been out there for me?”

“Oh, I’m sure there’d be plenty of things.”

“The thing is…as much as I should be wishing I had a different life, I don’t know if I could ever be happy doing something else. Even if I got a chance to do it all over differently. I think maybe it’s just destiny or something.”

“I don’t believe in destiny, per se,” Magnus hedged. “However, I do believe that sometimes there are things in our lives that are meant to be and cannot be hindered, no matter what path or universe we find ourselves in.” Shaking his head with a small smile on his lips, he continued, “I believe that I’ve always been walking towards you, no matter what direction I went.”

“Zeno’s paradox,” Alec countered playfully. “There are infinite halves between you and your destination. You move forward and I move forward, but there will always be remaining distance and we can never quite get there.”

With a dismissive wave of his hand, Magnus leaned in and kissed Alec softly, a gentle brush of warm, wet mouths. “I think we can find a way to make do.”

Alec rejoined their mouths with renewed enthusiasm, causing a low chuckle to emanate from Magnus. Pulling back after a generous few more seconds, his eyes searched Magnus’, eyebrows drawn in solemnity. “You’re it for me, Magnus.”

“Alexander… In any life, I would find you.” Standing up slowly and stretching, he put his hand on Alec’s head, carding his fingers through soft patches of hair.

Alec leaned into the touch, not dissimilar to how the Chairman would press into their hands in a desperate attempt to beg for more affection. Pulling away was disgruntling, but he made it up to himself by leaning forward to press a kiss to Magnus’ torso in the concave spot between his ribs.

“Do you feel like celebrating a job well done?” Magnus asked softly, trailing his fingers over Alec’s cheeks and stopping at his lips. They pressed gently at the seam, asking permission to enter his mouth.

Alec kissed each fingertip, and then the center of the palm, before pulling back to look up at Magnus. “Later,” he whispered. “I just want you right now.”

“That I can do.” Magnus settled down against his side, allowing Alec’s hand to dangle off his shoulder lazily.

“Mmm,” he hummed in assent.

Magnus lifted Alec’s right hand, gently massaging down each finger with careful precision.

“No, no, don’t exert yourself.” Alec batted at Magnus’ hand with his free one.

“A hand massage isn’t going to break me. Besides, your knuckles are all bruised again. Of all the times to be obstinate, Alexander, really…”

There was an undeniable comfort in the soft, purposeful press of Magnus’ fingers against his own, an all-consuming sense of intimacy. Not the kind to hide or keep private, but rather something that exceeded the simplicity of the action. It felt as if Magnus had plunged his hand into Alec’s chest and was holding his heart in his palm—he felt undoubtedly vulnerable, but there was also a satisfying sense of safety in it as well. Pressing his forehead to Magnus’ temple, Alec nosed at the shell of his ear, his mouth brushing the tender skin around it. “I love you.”

Stopping his gentle ministrations, Magnus guided Alec’s hand to his chest and pressed down, letting him feel the steady _thump_ ing of a heart that beat only for him. “I love you, too.”

No matter what was coming, Alec didn’t feel the need to fear it. He’d bowed under the pressure of fear many times in his life and regretted what it made him into. With Magnus, however, everything was clear, and while he had something he dreaded losing, he’d never been stronger.

Something new would come with the sunrise tomorrow, and they would be together.

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter updates will be on Thursdays! If you want to share theories, thoughts, or questions, come find me at champagnemagnus.tumblr.com!


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